Let it Bleed
by Igor Lollipop
Summary: Profile for better summary. The worlds are in danger once more as are the Princesses of Heart. A secret document reveals that there are an additional four princesses. When it comes to a quest for power, what you already know may not be enough. SxK RoxNam
1. The End of an Era

**Chapter One**

**A/n: This is going to be a kinda long**__**first chapter, just a warning. The title, Let it Bleed, is subject to change. Still, I think it works. I swore I would never start another story while trying to finish another (oh, wait, two others), but I'm doing it again. Just noting that this is my second class citizen story.**

**Like my first Kingdom Hearts story for my one series, I have no plot for this. xD' It starts off with a girl named Katalin who is a Junior in High school that is struggling to decide her academic future. In the meantime, during the weekend, she goes out with her uncle and discovers her true fate in the middle of a forest at night. **

**Don't want to spoil anything, so just trust me that this will be good (but maybe not as good as my Two-sided heart series.)**

_'This poison's my intoxication_

_Broke the needle off in my skin._

_Pick the scabs and pick the bleeding;_

_assumed that it was all in vain.'_

-"Let it Bleed" by the Used

The thought had not struck her for a good year. Now that it was in her head, she felt immensely guilty. Her grandfather had always been so proud of her, and he always wanted to see her "do great things."

Well, he hadn't even made it to her graduation, she thought sourly as she cast her eyes past the glass and into the traffic jam. She was a Junior in high school, and he hadn't even made it through her Freshman year.

Wait, she sounded _bitter_. Maybe she was.

Ever since he had died, she hadn't felt the inspiration to do well in school. Freshman year had passed with good grades. Sophomore year, well... That was a time she wasn't fond of speaking of. Now at the tail end of her Junior year, she'd consider herself lucky if she passed Advanced Algebra.

"Why did this sub think that it's a good idea to take the extremely long way?" demanded the girl sitting directly beside her. This girl was tall and skinny and her long, wavy brunet hair fell all the way down her back. Her light green eyes were narrowed in agitation.

The first girl pushed her dirty blond hair away from her face. It was _hot_. Although she lived in a four season town, the seasons seemed to have settled into only two seasons now: Winter and Summer. The beginning of spring started off colder than winter and ended warmer than summer. Sometimes, if they were lucky, there would be a few average Spring days in between.

If they were lucky. Now, in the middle of May, the dirty blond and black streaked hair was sticking to her face and neck. And, as the girl beside her had said, the substitute bus driver had decided to take the longest route possible to their homes.

"Talk about annoying," agreed the blond without real heat as she sat up and further pushed one earphone into her ear. The Almost was blasting in her left ear, while her right stay clear in order to hear the brunette's words.

"Katalin," the brunette began, as if she were surprised to hear the blonde had been listening, "are you ready for school to end?"

_'As if she even has to ask,' _thought the blonde with a grim smile that only succeeded in perplexing the brunette. "Are you kidding me? ACTs finished, all learning done... If it weren't for the finals, I would just leave school right now, Larisa," theatrically sighed Katalin.

Larisa grinned, revealing perfect, pearly white teeth. Katalin found herself briefly jealous for she knew that Larisa never had to wear braces unlike herself. "I know how you feel, but we'll be seniors soon."

Another sigh from Katalin. "I don't even want to _think _about being seniors; I just want summer to come and quickly." _'Besides,' _a small voice in the back of her mind began, _'What do I do once I graduate?' _

Such thoughts had often been a struggle for Katalin. As a child, she had wanted to have numerous careers: writer, artist, musician, and, her favorite, ice cream man. Now with all the pressure on, she had not a clue.

Katalin slipped further down into her seat, just in time to be sucked to the floor as the bus driver sped up while making a turn. Larisa all but fell on top of her until the bus driver obviously realized that driving fast around curves wasn't too clever of an idea.

"Do they just give licenses to _anyone_?!" growled Larisa as she and Katalin pushed themselves back up. "I'm getting off on the first stop," she added.

"Oh, sure, punish _me _for the sub's lack of a brain. That's fine," drawled Katalin as she shook her iPod nano. The song that it switched to was, oddly enough, "The Night" by Disturbed. She only wished that the sun would go down and make her cooler.

After Larisa, as promised, departed the bus on the first stop, Katalin put the other headphone into her ear and allowed herself to close her eyes and drift.

**XxxxxX**

As she had hoped, she was transferred to a cool, dark place; it was not a place that she recognized. In fact, she had to blink to make sure the place was _real_. It was quite the strange place.

Katalin stood (for, some strange reason, she'd been laying on the cool glass platform) and hanged her earphones around her neck with the music still blasting. She ignored the foreboding feeling that the song that was playing, "Alexithyma" by Anberlin, gave the dark area.

The glass platform that she had appeared on was undoubtedly strange. She walked to the center to get a closer examination.

**XxxxxX**

Katalin was shaken awake by somewhat of a familiar face. A freshman who was the best friend of one of her friends was staring hard at her. "You were flailing in your sleep," he stated unnecessarily. "Were you having a hot dream about me or Nick?" Half of a perverted smile was on his face, that much Katalin could tell with her blurry eyes.

She pushed him away and sat up. "'Somewhere far along this road, he lost his soul to a woman so--'" Katalin turned off her iPod as one of Kanye West's songs started up. "Nope, not you, not Nick. So sorry," she added with a cruel smile at his slightly crestfallen face.

"Whatever. I was just trying to be nice... isn't your stop coming up?" The both of them ducked into the center of the aisle and stared through the bus's rather dirty windshield. Sure enough, they were coming up to the corner of Woodbury Road and Pauline Avenue.

Katalin maybe, _maybe _owed him for waking her up in time. And probably owed him for waking her from that crazy dream. Part of her was still curious what had been about to happen, though... "Thanks, Brian," she managed to murmur as the bus stopped at the corner.

The freshman beamed. "Anytime, baby."

"Not in your life, Brian," responded Katalin just as quickly as she stood up and disembarked from the bus.

**XxxxxX**

The dream had decided not to let her off so easily, she noticed. After dinner later that night, she decided to head off to bed. Almost immediately she fell asleep.

When her eyes slid closed, the dream picked up from where it had left off.

**XxxxxX**

The next morning, Katalin was shaken awake by her uncle. It was a form of being awoken that, she decided, was not suitable to her tastes. Her uncle was an extremely tall man, past six feet, and was donning his Pittsburgh Penguins hat and blue sunglasses. _'What did I miss?' _wondered Katalin as her eyes were cast to her iPod dock. The numbers: 9:00 were flashing.

"What's up?" Her groggy voice didn't carry very far, so it was fortunate that her Uncle was hovering over her.

"We're going to breakfast, then we're going to the Nature Center, so get dressed," he announced with a large smile. Without acknowledging her protests, he left the room.

**XxxxxX**

Breakfast passed by slow enough, and Katalin wasn't make things go by any faster by picking at her food. Her dreams continued to confuse her, and, as a result, her appetite had been lost somewhere in between.

As if God himself was listening, she got a break.

"I'm sorry, everyone," a tall man wearing a nice white shirt and tie spoke from the center of the room. Katalin's eye sight wasn't perfect (that much was shown by the fact that she was wearing contacts), but she managed to squint and be able to read the man's tag: it said that he was the manager. "But we're going to have to close down." The manager was obviously distressed, losing a day's work.

Katalin's uncle demanded, "Why?"

With an apologetic glance sent his way, the manager replied, "One of my cooks discovered a large, black bug in the kitchen. We're going to have to have the restaurant inspected and sprayed."

Said cook was sitting off to the side whimpering. "It was so _big_. I used to live in New York and _never _saw anything that _big_. Those antennae," whined the woman as some nearby coworkers tried to calm her down.

Uncle glanced quickly at Katalin. "I guess we'll get headed over to the center now. It's a long drive, so we might want to get something on the way."

**XxxxxX**

Having finished his food, Uncle didn't want anything when they stopped at a McDonald's but insisted that Katalin have something. Her eyes quickly scanned the menu from her passenger seat. "I guess I'll have one of the salads..."

"Which one?" he asked with an eyebrow raised.

Katalin waved him off. "I don't care, whatever, let's just get out of here."

**(A/n: Just semi comic relief... because it's necessary. xD)**

An hour or so passed until they arrived at the Nature Center located in a not-so-nearby city. It was, of course, located in the suburbs of said city.

Her uncle slowed down as they came to each speed bump, slowing the car down to fifteen miles per hour when no bump was in sight. They passed the gates; Katalin vaguely noted the closing time.

When they pulled into a parking spot, her uncle looked her up and down before noting, "We're going to wish we brought you bug spray."

Quickly, she looked herself over. She was dressed in jean capris that barely reached her knees and the spaghetti strap black top that ended at the middle of her thighs. A peace of quartz in the shape of a heart hung from the chain around her neck. "It's only spring, how bad can the mosquitos be?"

**XxxxxX**

Katalin found out "how bad" just a minute after stepping out of the car. By the time they'd settled further into the forest surrounding the center a few hours later, she grew accustomed to the feeling of bugs sucking her blood.

The loud slap of skin on bare skin alerted Uncle that she had yet to resist the advances of the blood-sucking insects. He chuckled as he stopped on the middle of a fallen tree and glanced back. "I suppose we should head back?"

Her body was covered in numerous red blotches from her shoulders all the way down to her ankles. "Maybe," she replied without amusement as her uncle turned back and walked toward her. The sun was still bright despite the fact that it was closing in on the ground. At least, that's what Katalin assumed since she couldn't see much through the thick trees.

Just as soon as he touched down on the ground before her, he cried out, "Watch it, Kat!" She turned on her heel quickly to see what wild animal was behind her.

There _wasn't _a wild animal.

As the chef from the pancake house described this morning, there was a big black bug with antennae standing just a foot or so from her. Its eyes were the size and color of tennis balls. Katalin took an automatic step back and walked right into her uncle.

The two of them tumbled past the fallen tree and into the small pit below. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry," groaned Katalin as she quickly pulled herself up and offered a hand to help him up. He took it and stood, towering over her. "What _was _that thing?"

"Maybe some undiscovered type of rat? Who knows. Let's hurry up and get out of here; I didn't like the look of its claws."

She silently agreed with him, but getting out of the pit wouldn't be as easy as getting in. Uncle gave her a boost onto his shoulders and back onto the ground above.

More of the bugs had joined the other. "We better hurry, there are even more!" _'For bugs/rats, they sure act like wolves or coyotes. They join in packs to hunt their... prey? Is that what we are?' _Katalin huffed at the idea of being a prey to any bug other than a bee. For those, she sprinted off like no other.

Uncle climbed back up just in time to see more black bugs join the others. They scampered in from far away.

Small black and tar-like holes were around them, causing Katalin to wonder if they had poison dripping from their mouths or something.

This was not the case: more of the insects climbed _out _of these holes.

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph," whispered Katalin as larger versions of the insects clawed out of the holes.

"This is like something out of a bad sci-fi movie," murmured Uncle as he briefly grasped Katalin's shoulders and pulled her further away from the bugs. "They don't look very fast; we can probably outrun them. Go, Katalin," he pushed her, "Go!"

Katalin tripped slightly and ran right past the insects. She stopped several feet later when she realized that she couldn't hear another set of feet breaking twigs. Whirling around, she found her uncle trying to prevent the bugs from following her by brandishing a large tree branch. "Back off!" He snarled at them as he swatted.

"Uncle, stop, you don't know what they're capable of!" screamed Katalin as she ran back toward her father figure. She had never, in her memory, been so frightened in her life. Her legs felt weak as she ran back toward the insects.

She would gain no satisfaction out of knowing that she had been right; neither of them _did _know what the bugs were capable of. Until that instant.

One of the larger ones with long antennae that curled down its back dove into one of the sticky-looking holes. In the same breath, it reappeared behind Katalin's Uncle.

"Look out, Uncle! Turn around!" she screamed louder than before. The other insects looked toward her as did her uncle.

That was the funny thing about telling someone to "look out": they almost always turned towards _you_. And as her uncle looked at her, the large insect dug its claws into his back, causing blood to soak through his shirt. The insect plunged its claw into Uncle's back the next time, causing a horrified whimper to escape Katalin's mouth.

What it drew out was not a heart like the ones that students were made to dissect in Anatomy class. It looked like the hearts that children drew, and it was very pink. A second later, her uncle ceased to be. His body disappeared and the hat dropped off of his head.

Another black bug replaced him, but she tried not to look at it. Her feet automatically threw her forward, and she grabbed the fallen hat. Before any of the insects could attack her, she turned tail and ran.

Katalin dimly noticed that tears were sort of burning her eyes and spilling down her cheeks, but she never screamed. She was too surprised to scream. Maybe she didn't _understand _enough to scream.

The sun was getting too low in the sky; she could tell by the warm colors that were being cast around the forest. For the life of her, she couldn't remember from which way they'd come.

Masses of mosquitos were clinging to her skin and sucking her blood, but she didn't care. _'Th-that bug k-_killed _him.' _It was the only thought running through her mind as she tripped over tree roots and rocks.

Wolf howls were beginning to echo in the air. For the first time in her life, Katalin found herself wishing that the animals had spotted a deer instead of her.

Fifteen minutes later, she bumped into a fence. It was a fence, she knew, to prevent wild animals like wolves from getting out at night when they were on the hunt. As she came to the locked gate, she wondered if they did the same for drunk teenagers that came into the forest with beers late at night.

She banged on the gate. "Hello, I'm still in here! Please, isn't anyone out there?!" No one responded to her screams; she was on her own. Her eyes quickly looked over the gate. Barbed wire sat at the top of the fence. These people meant business.

It was better to get torn apart by wire than being ripped to pieces by wolves and big black insects. Katalin couldn't force her large white Volatile shoes to even cling to the fencing. All the better for her, she supposed. She quickly unlaced them and hurled them over the fence before digging her toes into the holes between the fencing.

More of the black holes were appearing around her. Katalin climbed faster. She made it to the top of the fence and, while biting her lip, placed her hands on the wire. Blood dripped freely down her hands and dabbed the wire. Even more mosquitos rushed in around her to get in on the action.

While still biting her lip (and drawing blood from it, too), she put one foot to the top of the fence then the other. Red began to color her white socks. Finally, she hurled herself over the top of the fence, with the wire somewhat ripping her jean capris.

The bugs on the other side of the fence could not simply walk through it, Katalin noticed with some relief. She pulled her shoes back on and took off for the car before the bugs climbed under. Or did whatever it was they did.

More bugs were waiting for prey in the parking lot. About twenty of them had to be twitching around the lot. _'I don't have the car keys,' _recalled Katalin with horror, _'Uncle had them.' _

Walking into the parking lot would be asking for death anyway. Or maybe a fate worse than death, she wasn't really sure.

She took off in the direction of the river. Why? She had no clue, just out of instinct.

The lights in the Nature Center's building were off and there was no car in the parking lot aside from her uncle's.

Now she was heading to her watery grave. _'It's better than getting killed off by those bugs. Maybe I'll get eaten to death by mosquitos.' _

As she closed in on the fence before the river, more of the insects appeared. By this moment, she had stopped becoming surprised with each new wave of the bugs. In fact, she resigned to the fact that they were going to kill her.

At least they'd kill her near one of her favorite sights.

She closed her eyes as the group of bugs came toward her. Katalin could hear the way their claws ripped up the grass and padded against the dirt.

The bugs never got to her. There was a short flashing noise and an abrupt weight in her right hand.

Her eyes slowly reopened. A large, key-shaped object was now being grasped by her fingers. Even in the dark, she could see the lack of bugs around her. _'This key drove away those monsters...? I don't get it.' _

The key looked like a weapon, a very able weapon, at that. Red and white roses covered the key. The hilt was the shape of a rose's head and the teeth were shaped like dangerous thorns.

Something quite large made her lose her footing and tumble over the railing and into the dirty water. A large monster with a heart-like shape on it and a silver hat was standing where Katalin had been. As she plunged into the water, it banged its chest in victory.

She had just gotten this key-thing to help her...

... and now she was going to die.

No matter what, the key refused to leave her hand. She felt more things (definitely not fish with the force that was being exerted) attack her from under the water; Katalin was willing to bet it was more monsters attacking her. For what? She had no clue.

The key and the underwater monsters were dragging her down. She flailed the key in her hands along with her free left hand to no avail. She was being dragged under, under, under.

Her eyes closed as she resigned herself to the fact.

**A/n: Please review! Not too much of an action-y first chapter. Well, better than the one in my first KH story, I guess. xD The second chapter's already started and then some, so... when I decide to finish it, it will come on here too.**


	2. Bleeding on the Ballroom Floor

**Chapter Two:**

**Bleeding on the Ballroom Floor**

**A/n: This chapter is mostly going to be filled with the explanation of Kingdom Hearts, CoM, and Kingdom Hearts II. I suppose you could skip over the explanation if you want, but it did take a lot of time. Dx**

**Thank you for the review (Lesser! -heart) and alerts. Love, love, love. Oh, lord, this is a longgg chapter.  
**

**Disclaimer - I don't own KH. Just this story, Katalin, and the other OCs. **

_'Have some composure,  
Where is your posture?  
Oh no, no!  
You're pulling the trigger,  
Pulling the trigger all wrong.'_  
-"Time to Dance" by Panic! At the Disco

* * *

The large key had been taken away from her; she could tell as much by the lightness of her right hand. Katalin wasn't sure how long she'd been out, but she realized that she was still soaking and in the river. There also happened to be a pair of hands grabbing her. "Uncle?" she called out instinctively. It hit her a second after she'd called for him that it couldn't be her uncle.

For one, she could tell that the hands were much smaller and feminine. Two, her uncle had been... Katalin had to stifle a whimper that she probably wouldn't have been capable of, anyway: she was freezing.

"I want to help you, but I need you to help me, too," a girl's medium-pitched voice seemed to whisper in her ear. She could tell by the voice alone that the girl was at least around the same age as her.

Katalin coughed in response. Her mouth felt like it was full of water. It must have happened when she called out. She opened her eyes, but there wasn't much that she could see in the dark. The only things that she could see were the reflection of the moon and the girl that was preventing her from drowning.

The girl's hair was brownish from being soaked in the water, but she could make out the very strange but beautiful indigo eyes. "I'm Kairi," the girl introduced herself when she saw Katalin's hazel-green eyes on her own. "I had to take away your Keyblade so that the Heartless would leave us alone. Can you kick and move your right arm for me? Then, we can get to the shore and my friends can help us."

The girl, Kairi, was using words that meant nothing to Katalin, but she nodded anyway. She managed to force her tired legs to kick and her right arm to push through the water. Katalin wasn't much sure of which way they were going, but it was fine since Kairi was leading.

Katalin coughed up more water as they headed not for shore, but for a partial dam that some beavers had started on. Her contacts were making it hard to see much of anything, but she could vaguely make out two masculine forms standing on the dam material. "Kairi, how could you be so stupid?!" One of the boys, angered, shouted to the girl that was helping Katalin.

"Shut up, Sora," the other boy chided him as he held out a hand. "Let's just worry about getting them out of the river, alright?"

The first boy murmured something, but Katalin couldn't make it out. Kairi grabbed the unnamed boy's hand while the other one, Sora, eased Katalin onto the dam.

She burst into another coughing fit as the water eased down her throat and rushed into her lungs. Sora banged her on the back to no avail, but Katalin could have told him as much. Hadn't his Health teacher taught him better?

Her consciousness wavered as the unnamed boy also pulled Kairi onto the dam with them. He turned toward Sora with narrowed eyes. Katalin wasn't sure if it was just the moon or if the boy's eyes were really the beautiful color of seafoam and antifreeze. His eyes were the last thing she saw before blacking out again.

"Sora, who taught you first aid?" demanded the seafoam-eyed boy as he picked up Katalin bridal style. "I can't give her CPR here... Can you and Kairi get back up?"

Sora nodded in reply as Riku climbed a slim bank back up to the Nature Center's land. He gently lay her back down and administered CPR as Sora climbed over the fence and held out both hands for Kairi.

Kairi was scowling when she and Sora were back on dry land. "I was _stupid, _Sora?" demanded the girl angrily as she surveyed him through narrowed eyes. "I saved that girl while you were..."

"... Killing Heartless?" he finished with an equally agitated expression. "Kairi, you should've _called _for me. You both could have died!"

"_Could _have, Sora," pointed out Kairi with a frown. "But I had things perfectly under control."

"Until you couldn't pull her in by her Keyblade and fell into the water with her," stated Sora with a shake of his head.

"If you lovebirds have finished your argument, I think our Keyblade friend is coming around," called the other boy.

Kairi barely spared Sora another glance as she called, "Coming, Riku." She doubled over the girl as Riku kneeled over her. Sora came up between the two of them, at Katalin's feet.

When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Riku's eyes once again. She blinked when she noticed the three of them were staring at her rather intently. Thankfully, she was saved having to speak when Sora asked, "Are you alright?"

Although Katalin's throat felt scratchy, she nodded and slowly eased herself up. Kairi helped her. "Yes, thank you," her eyes traveled to Kairi's concerned face. "You fished me out of the water. Thank you."

A small smile adorned Kairi's lips. "No problem. We're just glad you're alright."

Katalin couldn't really figure out why they cared, but she was still somewhat touched. "Those black bugs... weren't really black bugs. And that key..."

Riku shook his head. "We'll talk about it in the ship." He hesitated for a minute as his eyes connected to Sora's. "Should we seal this world?"

Sora shook his head. "I don't think it's in immediate danger," he replied. "The heartless were only here because they sensed her heart and her Keyblade. We'll come back later and do it."

"Wait, where are we going?" asked Katalin. Now that she could breathe again, she felt strangely exhausted.

"Don't worry, you can come back, but it's too dangerous for us to stick around right now. Besides, we might catch pneumonia out here," added Kairi in afterthought as she stood up. Sora helped up Katalin before easing her in the direction of the 'ship'.

**XxxxxX**

The ship really was a ship, Katalin was surprised to notice. Not a ship that she had ever seen before in her life, but it _was _in the general shape of a ship. It was fairly large and was orange and yellow with large wings.

Who _were _these people? "We'll explain everything," Sora insisted when Katalin hesitated near the ship. "Just not here. It's too dangerous."

The ship opened the way that ships tended to in sci-fi movies when aliens disembarked. From outside, the ship didn't appear too taunting.

Inside of the cockpit, the ship still didn't look the way such things were portrayed in movies. There were a bunch of buttons on the dashboard, but they were labeled in order to prevent one from touching the self-destruct button.

Only, Katalin noticed, there was no self-destruct button. _'Why would there be, anyway?' _Sora sat in the chair closest to the center of the dashboard. She assumed that he was going to drive. Riku took a seat to the left of him with numerous weaponry choices. He must be, Katalin decided, the artillery, but she didn't know what there was to attack in space.

Maybe aliens _were _real.

In the meantime, Kairi sat herself and Katalin down on the comfortable couch-like seat in the very back of the cockpit. Kairi belted herself, as did Katalin, and, with a quick glance back at them, Sora pressed a button.

The ship shot off of the ground like a rocket ship.

"What are Heartless? What's a Keyblade and why can I wield one? Why would the Heartless attack my _home_...?" asked Katalin so quickly that her questions all sounded like one.

Sora caught Kairi and Riku's eyes through a mirror. "A Heartless is a creature that's created by the darkness in people's hearts. All people have darkness in their hearts except for the Princess of Hearts," explained Sora. "More Heartless can be made when a person loses their heart. The type of Heartless that a person turns into all depends on the amount of darkness in their heart. A Shadow, those small black Heartless that you saw, is created by a minimal amount of Darkness. Neoshadows, the bigger Shadows, are a step up from Shadows. The list goes on and on."

"A Keyblade is a weapon. Only people with strong hearts are able to wield them, or so we think," remarked Riku as he destroyed Heartless ships in the distance. "There are many different types of Keyblades and can come from one of three realms: Light, dark, or nothingness. Keyblades can be changed in appearance if their keychains are switched. As for why they're after you... we're not too sure. Undoubtedly, it has something to do with your ability to wield a Keyblade."

Katalin thought that Riku's words made sense, but it didn't make her any less confused. "You three are Keyblade wielders, right?"

There was a small groan from Sora. "By the time I have kids, I'll have told this story over a trillion times," he remarked as he steered out of the way of a meteor. "Alright, I'll tell you about us. Riku, Kairi, and me are from a world that's called Destiny Islands. There are many different worlds in the universe," he added at Katalin's quizzical expression. "A couple of years ago, we wanted to leave Destiny Islands to find other worlds. One night, a bunch of Heartless invaded our home." Sora hesitated, as if he didn't know what to say. He exchanged a communicative glance with Riku before continuing, "Kairi lost her heart. After that, I looked for Riku. More Shadows appeared, but my wooden sword wouldn't work against them. Before the darkness could overwhelm me, I got a Keyblade. After that, I fought a Darkside, that's another type of Heartless, Destiny Islands was plunged into darkness and I was thrown out of it.

"I came to another world, Traverse Town. It's something of an in-between world for people who lose their worlds. There, I met a man named Leon, a ninja named Yuffie, and a Gummi Ship developer named Cid. Leon and Yuffie told me all about the Keyblade, my world, and the Heartless. As it turned out the two of them, along with Cid and a woman named Aerith, had lost their world, too. After that, more Heartless ambushed us. Leon and I tried to follow them to their source, but only I wound up finding the big Heartless.

"Luckily, I met a magician, Donald, and a knight, Goofy, who helped me defeat the Heartless. When they found out that I had the Keyblade, they told me that their King had sent them to find me in order to stop the worlds from being overcome by darkness. After that, I traveled to different worlds with them to find Riku and Kairi. Along the way, we sealed up the worlds so that darkness couldn't overtake them." Sora paused, briefly, and Katalin found herself wondering something else.

"Is that the job of a Keyblade wielder? To... seal up worlds?"

Kairi nodded. "It's the unique ability of a Keyblade. It can also open up a world's keyhole, lock paths to worlds, and unlock paths to new worlds."

"After a while, I found Riku back in Traverse Town, and he hadn't found Kairi, either. While I was out with Donald and Goofy, I kept thinking that I was seeing Kairi, but that wasn't exactly it. Donald wouldn't let me bring Riku with us to different worlds, and, after a short fight with him, Riku disappeared. As we went to more worlds, we met Princesses of Heart, and also discovered a plan that a group of villains were planning.

"Eventually, in a world called Neverland, I met up with Riku for a third time on Captain Hook's ship," began Sora as he dipped out of the way of a meteor filled area. He seemed to be less at ease speaking about Neverland. "I also found Kairi. Or, at least, her body. Then, I found out that Kairi lost her heart. Riku had been manipulated by the leader of the villains, Maleficent, into thinking that I didn't care about him or Kairi anymore. He left with her, and I took care of Captain Hook, another member of Maleficent's group."

Katalin interjected once again, "I thought that a person disappeared when they lost their heart? That's what happened to my uncle." She quickly moved her hand to push back her hair until she noticed the wet cap on her head. With relief, she noted that she still had her uncle's hat.

Kairi patted Katalin's hand sympathetically. "Well... we'll get to that soon." She promised before signaling Sora to continue.

"Finally, Donald, Goofy, and I were able to access Maleficent's hideout in Leon's home world of Hollow Bastion. Before we even got inside the Castle, Riku was able to take the Keyblade from me as my heart weakened. As a result, Donald and Goofy left me." Katalin noticed that Riku was attacking the Heartless ships more viciously than before. "Another person, a Beast, decided to join me as he had lost someone important to him, too. Needless to say, he did all of the fighting since the wooden sword still didn't work on the Heartless. We re-met Riku in the first room of the Castle. With Donald and Goofy returning to my side, my heart became strong enough to take back the Keyblade. We fought Riku and managed to drive him back.

"When we reached the top of the castle, we met Maleficent. We beat her once, but she wasn't quite dead and we had to follow her to another part of the castle. There, Riku appeared again with a strange Keyblade that he said had the ability to unlock people's hearts. He demonstrates by striking her with it, thus transforming her into a hideous dragon which, I think, makes a lot more sense," he added with a wide grin. "After that, we found Kairi again. And Riku. Only, it wasn't really Riku. He had been taken over by a man named Ansem. Ansem told me that Kairi was one of the seven Princesses of Heart, but her heart had been claimed by a Heartless. Princesses of Heart have no darkness in them, so instead of disappearing into darkness, Kairi's heart joined mine at Destiny's Island and her body was left in the realm of light. Ansem had captured the other six Princesses of Heart in order to open the keyhole of Hollow Bastion and summoning ultimate darkness.

"Donald and Goofy were separated from me, and I had to fight Ansem on my own. When I defeated him, he disappeared to another world. Hollow Bastion's keyhole was too dangerous to leave open, but I couldn't seal it without Kairi's heart, so I used Ansem's Keyblade and freed my heart and hers. After that, I transformed into a Heartless. With Kairi's heart restored, the keyhole was completed. Ansem returned to take care of Kairi once and for all, but Riku was able to stop him from harming her. Goofy and Donald took Kairi with them, and they accidentally found me before leaving the castle. Kairi recognized me and was able to make me human again with her heart's strength.

"After I sealed the keyhole, we left Kairi in Traverse Town, and followed Ansem to End of the World. End of the World is a world that is made up of the pieces of destroyed worlds. Well, at least, worlds that are taken by Heartless. We found Ansem at the very end in the fragment of Destiny Islands. By this time, Ansem had completely possessed Riku so that he transformed into Ansem himself. After a long fight against him, we finally defeated him.

"Only he still refused to give up. He told me that darkness is the heart's essence and tried to use Kingdom Hearts to fill him with the power of darkness, but I knew he was wrong. Kingdom Hearts opened and used its light to kill Ansem. When Donald, Goofy, and I got closer, we saw that Kingdom Hearts was full of every type of pure Heartless, and we couldn't close the doors.

"The King that Goofy and Donald had been looking for the whole journey was inside of Kingdom Hearts with Riku. King Mickey told me to seal Kingdom Hearts from outside, and he would do the same from the inside. Riku helped to close the door from the inside and told me to take care of Kairi. Outside, I found Kairi. She had been drawn back by Destiny Islands' reformation. I promised that I would see her again, but that I had to find Riku first. She told me that she would wait for us. Then, she was sent back to Destiny Islands."

At this point, Sora scratched his head. "I don't really remember much of what happened after that... All I remember is walking down a long, winding road with Donald and Goofy as we followed King Mickey's dog, Pluto. I remember a crossroad, and... that's about it." He shrugged meekly. "Couldn't have been too important."

Riku straightened up in his chair as he zapped a few more enemy ships. "Then I'll tell her what happened," he offered. Sora glanced at him in surprise, as Riku hadn't mentioned much of it before. Even Kairi appeared to be interested. "Sora met a cloaked man at the crossroads and decided to follow him to a large castle. The cloaked man introduces him to Castle Oblivion and gives him cards to battle with. Castle Oblivion functions by using the memories of a person and playing them into cards. The first world Sora, Donald, and Goofy went to was Traverse Town, as it was the first memory of his adventure that Sora had.

"Inside of Traverse Town, Sora met the old friends that he had first met there on his adventure. While he remembered them perfectly, they didn't truly remember him although their hearts did. After they leave Traverse Town, they meet another cloaked man named Axel. Axel fights Sora to get an idea of how strong he is before giving him more cards to make progress in the Castle.

"The thing about Castle Oblivion is that the more floors you climb, the more you forget. Well, at least, that was the case for Sora. As he climbed up more floors, he began to forget Kairi and remember another girl, Naminé." Kairi gasped, but it went unnoticed by the others. "As he revisited the worlds constructed from his memories, Sora began to forget the people in them. He also met two more cloaked members of the castle, Vexen and Larxene. On a later floor, Sora learned that Naminé was not really mine and Sora's childhood friend. She had transformed the good luck charm Kairi had given him in an effort to make him forget Kairi but, when she revealed that she wasn't the right girl, the charm reverted to its original form. After this, Sora met Marluxia, the man he had met at the crossroads, and had a final battle.

"Once Sora defeated Marluxia, Naminé told him that his memory had been very badly tempered with. He had to choose if he wanted his memories of the castle and Naminé or of his old friends and life before Castle Oblivion. Sora picked his old life. In order to fix his memories and Donald and Goofy's, Naminé put them in pods that allowed them to sleep while she recovered their old memories. Once inside the pod, Sora was able to remember Kairi and, as a result, everyone else." Riku paused for a moment in order to take in Sora and Kairi's expressions. They appeared to be horrified beyond reason.

"While Sora was being played around by Marluxia, I was in the basement of the castle, trying to defeat my inner-darkness. In the basement floors, I met more members of the castle: Lexaeus and Zexion. Vexen had created a replica of me in order to make me give into the darkness. It didn't work; the clone was too weak. After that, Vexen sent it to Sora in order to confuse him and make him turn against me. That kinda worked. I had to defeat Vexen, Zexion, and Lexaeus in order to start defeating my darkness. Along the way, I also had to beat Ansem. A _lot_. In a last-ditch effort to force me to give into the darkness, Lexaeus overwhelmed me with darkness. While I was drifting, Kairi appeared to me and told me to embrace light and darkness.

"After another fight with Ansem , I went to find a girl that a man told me could help me get rid of my darkness. At the same time, I found Sora sleeping in a pod. Her name was Naminé, and I realized that she had appeared to me as Kairi in order to get me to choose light and darkness. She told me that she was fixing Sora's memories, and offered to seal my heart in order to prevent the darkness from bothering me anymore. But, she told me that I would have to sleep for a year, like Sora. Like that was happening. Instead, I decided to face off against Ansem once and for all. After I defeated him, a man named DiZ told me I needed to pick a path to continue onward; I choose the path to dawn.

"While Sora was still sleeping, I learned that all of the residents of the castle had been members of a group called Organization XIII. The Superior of Organization XIII had given Marluxia permission to be head of Castle Oblivion and gave him control of Naminé. Larxene and Marluxia wanted to overthrow the Organization which Axel, Vexen, Lexaeus, and Zexion had assumed. Axel pretended to work along them and helped them kill off Vexen and Zexion. Lexaeus died when he tried to make me give into the darkness. As it turns out, he wanted me to utilize darkness so that I could take care of Larxene and Marluxia.

"Once Axel had killed off all the other members aside from Marluxia, he revealed his true colors and began to work against Marluxia. He had taken it as his duty to rid the Organization of traitors. Once I chose the path to dawn, I decided that I would help DiZ while Sora still slept. As it turns out, DiZ also wanted to help me in waking up Sora, but said that it wasn't possible without his Nobody. He has me hunt down his Nobody, Roxas, in the World that Never Was. Roxas was the thirteenth member of Organization XIII. I had to use my darkness in order to capture Roxas and bring him back to Twilight Town. This caused my form to revert to that of Ansem, despite the fact that I was still me.

"DiZ erased Roxas' memories of his life and put him in a virtual version of Twilight Town. From there, I played babysitter, being sure that Roxas didn't learn that he was really Sora's Nobody, which meant also keeping Naminé away from him. That was ineffective since trying to keep those two apart is like trying to keep Kairi and Sora apart," remarked Riku with a grin as Sora and Kairi both blushed. "Roxas stayed in the virtual Twilight Town until Naminé finally finished completing Sora's memories. But while Roxas was locked in the virtual town, Axel came to him in an attempt to bring him back. Roxas doesn't remember who Axel is until Naminé completes Sora's memories, thus allowing him to get back his own. On the final day of being in Twilight Town, Roxas was summoned back to the mansion by DiZ where he finally gets more answers from Naminé.

"DiZ separated the two of them again and ordered me to kill Naminé while Roxas re-met and defeated Axel. After all Naminé had done to help Sora, I couldn't kill her, so I let Axel take care of her. From there, Sora woke up after Roxas rejoined him. You can take it from here, Sora," remarked Riku as he turned his attention back to the weaponry.

Both Sora and Kairi were bewildered to hear the strange truth from Riku who had never mentioned any of it before. Nonetheless, Sora continued the story from where he woke up, "After the three of us woke up, we found King Mickey. He wouldn't really tell us much, just to go to Yen Sid's tower. Yen Sid, King Mickey's mentor, told us that the worlds were being threatened by Heartless _and _Nobodies and that we needed to protect them. Also there were three fairies named Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather; they gave me the ability to use something called drive forms. We took a Gummi Ship and went to Hollow Bastion, where we found Yuffie, Leon, Aerith, and Cid. They had been working at restoring Hollow Bastion for a while.

"Nobodies showed up there, and we learned that we needed to unlock the paths to new and old worlds in order to figure out what was going on. After that, Organization XIII showed up and taunted us. We still hadn't found Riku. But we took trips to numerous other worlds and began to learn that Maleficent had been revived and that she was fighting against Organization XIII for power. The Twilight Town gang also told us that Kairi had been with them, but she had been captured by another Organization member, Axel. Along the way, we also found out that Organization XIII was trying to turn the most powerful people into Heartless in order to get their powerful Nobodies.

"The battle for power came to a breaking point in Hollow Bastion when it came under siege by, mostly, Maleficent and her Heartless. That was when King Mickey told us that the man we had thought was Ansem wasn't really Ansem but the Heartless of his assistant, Xehanort.

"Axel tried to convince me that the Organization was using me to get Kingdom Hearts to its full power and also apologized for what he had done to Kairi. He disappeared before he could say more and another Organization member, Saïx appeared. He refused to take me to Kairi and told me that Axel was right about Kingdom Hearts.

"With each Heartless defeated, the captured hearts were absorbed by Kingdom Hearts. Why Organization XIII was interested, we learned from Xemnas, was because he wanted to make a new Kingdom Hearts. One that he thought all Nobodies could use to get their hearts.

"Once we defeated the other Organization members posted a various worlds, we were able to get to the World that Never Was by a portal in the virtual Twilight Town. King Mickey, Pence, Hayner, and Olette helped us figure it out. In the World that Never Was, I finally met Roxas. We fought as a way, I guess, for him to see why it was that he was the Nobody. Once I defeated him, he returned to me, and we went to the Castle that Never Was to find Kairi."

Kairi picked it up from there. "By the time Sora, Donald, and Goofy came to the Brink of Despair, Saïx told me that I was the bait for Sora. Naminé appeared and helped me escape. After that, Saïx found us. While we were plenty ready to try and fight him, we didn't have to. Riku took care of him, and took me with him. I'm not really sure where Naminé went for a long time after that."

Sora continued, "We were separated from King Mickey and ambushed by lesser Nobodies when we entered the castle. On the second floor, Saïx appeared and told me that the Organization didn't need me to gather more hearts because Kingdom Hearts had reached its capacity. After that, I saw Kairi. She tried to jump down and help me, but she got attacked by Heartless. Then, Xigbar came. Once we defeated him, he called me a traitor which, at the time, I didn't understand."

"Sounds like one busy night," murmured Katalin.

Riku nodded curtly from where he was sitting. "You think so?"

"On the next level, we met with Kairi. She was using a Keyblade that Riku had given to her. For whatever reason, it reformed when she touched it. She handled it pretty well. Then, she told me that the man who helped her wasn't Xehanort's Heartless, even though that's who it looked like."

"I hate having to say that," mumbled Riku as he pulverized some meteors that Sora was about to drive into. "It was so much easier to say 'Ansem'."

Sora and Kairi both smiled. Obviously, this was Riku's typical humor. Katalin thought he seemed incapable of very long sentences (excluding his explanation). "It turned out to be Riku," explained Sora. "Kairi was able to tell by closing her eyes and searching through her heart, and she showed me that I could do it the same way. After that, we sticked together through fights against Luxord and Saïx. After defeating Saïx, Riku told me that the Organization kept calling me Roxas because he was my Nobody.

"We joined King Mickey and the real Ansem the Great at Naught's Approach. Ansem had a machine that allowed him to destroy Kingdom Hearts. Xemnas appeared just in time to witness it. Ansem had to sacrifice his life in order to get the machine to damage it. Hearts poured out of Kingdom Hearts, creating Heartless, and giving Riku his true form back. When we headed through the next area to get to Xemnas, Heartless were climbing up the pillars of the Castle. Surprisingly, Maleficent and Pete appeared and held them off while we took care of Xemnas. After that, we went to Altar of Naught where we finally got to fight him.

"After the first battle, which I had to do by myself, we were able to get inside the doors that he summoned to his Kingdom Hearts. King Mickey and Kairi were left outside and Riku, Donald, Goofy, and I had to take him on ourselves. We fought with Donald and Goofy twice and then we were back at the Altar. Xemnas seemed to be defeated," Sora's choice of words informed Katalin otherwise, "and we were ready to go home, but Riku couldn't call upon a portal, which was actually a pretty good thing. Naminé appeared and summoned a portal, but only Kairi, Riku, and I could see her.

"Roxas jumped out of me and the two of them talked. They got their closure before returning to us. Before Riku and I could get into the portal, it closed. The result of our battles with Xemnas was the Castle collapsing, and we had to take a Nobody ship to finish our fight with Xemnas, who turned out to still be alive. He tried really hard to turn us against each other, but we ignored him and finished off his armor, so he took the battle to the realm of Nothingness."

"Xemnas used everything that he had left against us. He used his clones, his light and dark energy, his teleportation abilities, and anything else you could imagine. He's definitely one of the strongest enemies I've ever had to face," admitted Riku as he continued the story. "After a while of teleporting around and confusing us, he started launching aerial blades at us. Sora had to rely on his own abilities, and I had to use my dark shield.

"After seeing that we'd survived through all of that, Xemnas tried to suck out Sora's heart." Kairi, who had apparently never heard this before, gasped a little. "I had to fight against one of his clones before I could get to Sora, break the spell, and beat the hell out of Xemnas for using that move. I sort of paid for it, sure, but it was definitely worth it. He reverted back to his original attacks before summoning over a hundred of his aerial blades. We worked together to avoid them all -- and somehow managed to retain a small amount of damage. I gave Sora Way to Dawn," Riku's Keyblade, Katalin remembered, "and he further downed Xemnas' life. Then, we combined our attacks for one final assault which left him pretty much unconscious. After one more combo, he was done."

"But that wasn't it. Once Xemnas died, a million Dusks took his place. They disappeared, but it looked like we were trapped. Not only could Riku not use a portal, but he was more injured than he let on and needed to lean on me to walk. We found a portal that led us to a dark beach, but there was nothing but the ocean there. We waited there for a long time, and then Riku found a message in a bottle... from Kairi.

"Once I read it, a door to the light appeared and we were able to come home. After we got back to Destiny Islands, Donald, Goofy, and the King left and we didn't hear from them... until a week or so ago. We got a letter from King Mickey that warned us that Maleficent had been causing trouble in new worlds."

Katalin cleared her throat, which had gone numb from disuse. "Then, why did you three just happen to be in my world?"

"King Mickey contacted us while we were at the Radiant Garden, which is where we're heading now, and told us that another world was on the brink of being sent into darkness," replied Kairi. "That world turned out to be Des Plaines, your world, Diamant de plaines," recited Kairi with a surprisingly good french accent. "Once we found and helped you, though, the Heartless receded. We'll let you go back -- with one of us, of course -- after we've decided why the Heartless targeted you. The fact that you're a Keyblade wielder alone is sure to confuse everyone."

"Radiant Garden disembarkment point reached," a robotic female voice announced.

_'I have to meet more... strangers?' _thought Katalin as she stared out one of the ship's windows. She was concerned about her mother. When she reached into her pocket for her phone, she discovered that it wouldn't turn on. "Of course. Water," groaned Katalin.

Kairi put a hand on Katalin's shoulder. "Cid's really good with technology, so I'm sure he can fix it. Oh, and don't worry about meeting the others; I'm sure they'll be happy to meet you."

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**A/n: Auuugh, the explanation was very annoying to write. I know I could've just said 'and Sora explained everything to Katalin', but... that seems so impersonal. On that note, I skipped a lot of details, but that's because I wanted to get the main points across. Katalin were learn other stuff in time. If you found that I moved from past to present tense at any point in time, I apologize; I kinda decided to spontaneously do that during some parts for some strange reason. Please review. :3 See you next chapter.**


	3. All Systems Are Go

**Chapter Three:**

**All Systems Are Go**

**A/n: I'm very happy that you guys (girl, really xD) appreciated my attempt at the explanation. -heart- Finals are over at school, so I can finally give this fanfiction some attention! xD' I probably won't finish this until after I'm through with my other KH fic, but I have plenty of ideas for this, so don't worry. :3**

**Disclaimer - 'ey. I don't own Kingdom Hearts, alright? Cool.**

_'Earth below us_

_Drifting, falling._

_Floating weightless_

_Calling, calling..._

_... Home.'_

**-"Major Tom" by Shiny Toy Guns**

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The Radiant Garden was unlike anything Katalin had expected. Kairi had explained at last minute that Tron had discovered Hollow Bastion's true name. Judging by Sora's description of the old Hollow Bastion, the Restoration Committee had come a long way.

The Marketplace was completely covered in purple tiles and had several fountains throughout. Fluffy white animals were floating around the hordes of shoppers. Shops filled the Marketplace to the brim. Katalin also noticed that there were many large strip-malls further back. **(A/n: A wonderful addition to the world. x3) **

"Wow," breathed Katalin as Sora, Kairi, and Riku came up behind her. "It's so..."

"Indescribable?" prompted Riku with the faintest of smiles.

Kairi grinned. "Wait until you see the rest of the world. It's especially pretty during sunrise and sunset..."

Sora rolled his eyes. "You can take Katalin on a tour _after _we go see Leon and the gang."

Riku glanced at Katalin quickly. Apparently, Sora and Kairi did not usually act the way they were currently. Sora led them through the crowds and down a flight of brick stairs to a large neighborhood.

They walked through one neighborhood, passed through an archway, and came to a new one. After turning a corner in this neighborhood, Sora headed for a door to a house that looked like none of the others. From outside, it didn't look like much, but Katalin doubted the same could be said about the inside. After all, Sora had mentioned that a wizard lived in this house.

As it turned out, the house did not look like much inside, Katalin had to admit. Aside from the large computer system in the center of the living room, there wasn't too much to the cluttered living room. There was a door on the other side of the room; Katalin assumed it led to the kitchen.

"Huh. I wonder where everyone is?" murmured Sora.

As he said this, a woman donned in ninja gear poked her head out of the kitchen. "Sora, Kairi, Riku!" The woman greeted them enthusiastically. Her eyes settled on Katalin with curiosity.

The kitchen door was pushed open as a tall male came to stand beside the ninja woman. He had bright blue eyes and brunet hair which, to Katalin, was a strange combination in itself, but that's not what her eyes were drawn to. Her eyes snapped to the scar sliced down the middle of the bridge of his nose. It looked fairly old and healed but, nonetheless, Katalin couldn't stop herself from staring. He was dressed in mostly black. All in all, this man was very intimidating.

"Leon, Yuffie," Sora's smile helped to ease Katalin a little. "This is Katalin; she's from..." He trailed off and looked to Kairi for help.

"Diamant de plaines," finished Kairi with a proud smile.

"The world that the King wanted you to check out. Did you seal it?" asked Leon with a raised eyebrow. There wasn't even a hint of a smile on his face.

Sora rubbed the back of his head. "Well, no. After we saved Katalin, all the Heartless disappeared."

"Who knows for how long," murmured Riku. If anyone had heard him, they did not acknowledge his words. "Katalin is a Keyblade wielder," he added.

Leon, obviously pleased that someone had gotten to the point, nodded. "That makes more sense. Welcome, Katalin. Why don't you four come into the kitchen and tell us what happened?"

When they entered the kitchen behind Leon and Yuffie, they found the 'us' was little more than them plus a blond man and a brunette woman. "Where's Merlin?" asked Sora as they sat down at the table. The kitchen was much bigger than Katalin expected.

Leon shrugged. "Shopping, I guess." He leaned against one of the kitchen's walls instead of sitting down with the rest of them. "What happened exactly?"

Sora opened his mouth to respond but was stopped by Riku. "I think that we should probably start with Katalin, don't you?" He nodded solemnly.

Katalin felt her cheeks burn as all eyes were on her. In school, whenever she raised her hand to answer a question, she always felt extremely embarrassed. Even when she knew the response she was giving was correct, she didn't like everyone's eyes on her because she guessed, probably correctly, that they were awaiting her failure. It made giving speeches hell. She began her story from the morning when she and her uncle had left the restaurant to when she passed out in the river.

It was Kairi who picked it up from there. "After we landed in Des Plaines, we noticed that Heartless were everywhere. The closer we got to the river, the more Heartless there were; there was an amazing amount in the water. While Riku and Sora tried to destroy them all and decide where the keyhole was, I saw Katalin floating in the water. She was still holding her Keyblade, and a bunch of Heartless were trying to get at her.

"I jumped into the river, destroyed some of the water Heartless, and grabbed Katalin. Somehow I managed to wrestle her Keyblade off of her, and the Heartless left us alone. I couldn't get us both back to shore, but she woke up not too long afterward. Once she was awake, we got over to a dam and Sora and Riku helped us up."

"Unfortunately," continued Riku, "Sora was sleeping when we learned First Aid in school, so he couldn't get the water out of Katalin's system. I gave her CPR, Sora and Kairi fought, and we got back into the ship. On our way here, we explained the important things to Katalin. And here we are." He sounded a bit haughty, Katalin noticed with some distaste.

The eyes of the Radiant Garden denizens were still on her. Yuffie's were friendly, Leon's were indifferent, the blond's were scrutinizing, and the brunette's were sympathetic. "Oh, we didn't introduce you, Katalin. That's Aerith," Kairi indicated the brunette. "And that's Cid."

Cid was the one Kairi had thought could fix Katalin's cell phone. Even though she probably couldn't call her mother, she was hoping her mother had left a message. "Cid, could you fix my phone? It got drenched in the river." She slid the thin silver phone across the table. It was covered with various stickers, some being pictures of herself and her best friend.

The man smiled widely. "This? This'll be easy," remarked Cid. "Just give me fifteen minutes." With the phone in his hand, he exited the room.

"Now what are we going to do?" Sora asked no one in particular. "I guess we could call the King and tell him that we found another Keyblade wielder..."

"Maybe you'd like to eat something first?" suggested Aerith as she spoke for the first time. Her voice was light but not airy.

For the first time, it occurred to Katalin that she was extremely hungry; she hadn't eaten since the morning. If one could call that eating, anyway. As she reflected on the events of the day, her eyes trailed down to her cut hands, ripped clothes, and feet that she knew where ripped up from the barbed wire.

She had never been very good at dealing with pain. There was, apparently, a first time for everything. Katalin jolted as lime green vines wrapped around her body. When they disappeared, she was all healed. Even the mosquito bites were gone.

Aerith glanced back at her from where she stood at the stove and winked. Katalin smiled her thanks. "You look like you could use a warm bed, and a shower. I'll bring you up some tea after the latter," offered the brunette.

Katalin blinked. "Oh, really? You, uh, don't have to..."

Kairi waved her off. "Don't argue. Each room has their own bathroom. I'll go show you a spare." The Princess didn't give her another moment to argue, for she grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the kitchen. As they passed the computer, Cid stopped them and handed Katalin her cell phone.

"Thank you!" called Katalin over her shoulder as Kairi led her upstairs. With her free hand, she clicked on voice messages. Already, she had about five new ones. Curiosity got the best of her. With speaker phone on, Katalin punched in her password and awaited to hear the messages.

"Hi, Kat, I was just wondering what time you and Uncle are coming home. Call me back soon. I love you. Bye," a woman's voice said. It was her mother, she realized with a jolt.

The next message played. "Kat, it's me. Just wanted to know if we're still on for tonight. Call me back, face. Bye." Her best friend, Darcie.

Her mother spoke again on the next message, "Honey, I have no clue where you are and I'm starting to get worried. Did you or uncle leave the gate open? Someone ran through the yard dressed in a black jacket with the hood up."

Katalin clicked off her phone as she and Kairi stopped at a room. Kairi was mirroring a concerned expression she knew was on her own face. "We'll go back soon, right?" asked Katalin.

Kairi nodded furiously. "Very. I promise." She disappeared downstairs as Katalin pulled inside the room. It was a fairly large room, much larger than her one at home.

A mirror was even nailed on a door, much to her pleasure. Katalin dragged her feet over to the closet doors and examined herself. She looked _terrible_. _'Although I'm sure I looked much worse before Aerith healed me.' _Her blond hair (still damp and now brown) was wavier than usual and everywhere. The eyeliner she'd put on that morning had smeared black smudges under and over her eyes, making it look like she had bruises.

While she frowned at her reflection, a knock at the door made her jump. She turned around and called, "Come in!" It was Kairi.

She smiled sheepishly as she entered the room. A bunch of, what looked like, clothes were slung over one of her arms. She promptly dropped them on the bench at the foot of the bed. "It just occurred to me that you have nothing to wear. I bought some stuff when we first came here, so I have extra. I'm hoping that these and these," Kairi gestured to pajamas and an outfit of some sort, "will do well enough for you until we can buy you something."

The thought of clothes hadn't occurred to Katalin. She had just been about to take a shower and have nothing to wear when she came out. Well, Kairi had just saved her from an awkward situation. "Thank you, Kairi. For everything."

The other girl simply smiled. "I have to admit, it's nice not being the only girl. By the way, on my way back here, I talked to Riku and he said that we'll just talk to the King tomorrow. He thinks, and I agree, that we could all use some rest."

Katalin nodded. She certainly wasn't ready to talk to royalty while her emotions tore her inside out. "Alright. I'll see you in the morning."

At the door, Kairi paused and glanced back, "Nice room, huh?" she asked with a playful grin which Katalin returned half-heartedly. Kairi truly reminded her of Darcie.

She allowed a small groan to escape her lips as she entered the bathroom and threw on the light switch. Hopefully, neither Darcie nor her mother would be too angry with her. Not like she had _asked _for any of this to happen, anyway.

For the first time, Katalin regretted complaining about her life and wanting, as her math teacher would say, "to spice it up." This was karma at its finest.

In the spacious bathroom was an actual shower and a separate bathtub. Very rarely was Katalin one for baths and, aside from that, she was too dirty to be sitting in her own filth. She pushed open the frosted glass shower door and turned the water on warm before stripping down.

The shower was where Katalin did her best thinking but, as she climbed inside, the last thing she wanted to think about was what had happened. She glanced at the black Penguin's hat with its white bill covered in mud and blood before closing the door.

**XxxxxX**

As promised, a steaming cup of tea was awaiting Katalin as she stepped out of the bathroom. She was fully clothed in Kairi's tanktop and long shorts, and she mentally thanked the redhead for having the same pajama tastes as herself.

When she collapsed on the fluffy queen-sized bed, she held her cell phone in one hand and the mug in the other. For laughs, she decided, she would attempt to text message one of her friends -- just to see if she couldn't somehow get through.

She settled for a brief, antagonistic message to one of her closer guy friends. Katalin tried to fight off the disappointment that overcame her as she got a message that she was "out of range." _'You don't say,' _she thought as she allowed the phone to drop to the floor while she reached for her tea.

After her second sip, she realized how hungry and thirsty she really wasn't. Though, the feelings had probably formed from her thinking time in the shower.

Once she went home, she wasn't sure how she would explain her absence to her friends, to her family. The one thing she was really concerned about was her uncle's... disappearance. Disappearance only because she couldn't bring herself to admit that he was gone. "Oh, by the way, Mom, Uncle's gone," she would inform her mother, "What happened to him, you ask? Well, you see, he lost his heart to this creature called a Heartless -- it was pretty gruesome to watch -- and now he's one of them. You believe me, right?"

Her mother would then reply with something loving before picking up the phone and calling the nearest insane asylum to have her locked up. Kairi had said that Katalin would return home with one of them, so that would be helpful. On top of that, Katalin could just as easily show her mother her Keyblade.

Then her mother would probably assume that she had gone crazy and would turn herself in to an asylum.

_'Finals,' _she growled to herself mentally. _'I'm going to miss all of my finals.' _Something in the back of her mind reminded her that there were more pressing matters at hand than her academic future. Like, for example, her Keyblade wielding future. Once her little adventure with Sora, Kairi, and Riku was over, she'd return home and, maybe, open a Heartless pest control company.

Her slogan would be, "Who're you gonna call? Keyblade wielders!"

After finishing the tea, Katalin rolled onto her back and comforted herself by continually thinking of probably humorous situations when she returned home. The thoughts were enough to gently lull her to sleep.

**XxxxxX**

The next morning, Katalin was awoken by Yuffie's shaking her. For the third time in forty-eight hours, she noted that it was a most annoying way to be awoken. "The King's here, Kat. Come on, get up." Yuffie was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as Katalin sat up. Already, the woman was accustomed to her presence; if only she could say that for numerous residents of Des Plaines.

"The King?" repeated Katalin dumbly, quite unaware of where she was at first. The strange room was reminder enough, and she was able to wipe the sleep from her eyes and stand up. "What time is it?"

"Around six, I think," chirped Yuffie.

Katalin wondered how anyone could be so cheerful at God's hour, but she said nothing on the subject. Instead, she informed Yuffie that she would be down in a good ten minutes; she needed time to at least look awake.

Yuffie scampered out of the room and Katalin locked the door behind her, a habit she often had to perform at home as no one bothered knocking. After changing into the other outfit Kairi had left her (a pair of dark skinny jeans and an orange tee), she ran into the bathroom to brush through her hair with a spare brush. She felt an instant surge of disappointment that she no eyeliner; if there was one type of makeup that Katalin loved, it was eyeliner.

Once she deemed herself presentable, she exited the room and headed downstairs. Multiple voices were rising from the living room. "There's Sleeping Beauty," called Sora from one of the couches as Katalin descended the stairs.

She wanted to scowl but only managed to blush. "How are you all so easily awake this early? I have to get up earlier than this for school, but I'm never really awake," she groaned.

"Let Sora speak for himself; he's the only person back home that can wake up at any hour of the day and be fully awake," mumbled Riku as he pushed his messy hair out of his face. Unlike Sora, he and Kairi had bedhead. Katalin was curious as to what Sora used on his hair to make it constantly perfect.

Sora grinned sheepishly. "What can I say? A Keyblade wielder's work starts from dusk to dawn."

"Shut up," sighed Kairi as she hit him with a couch pillow. The two of them were sitting next to each other on the loveseat with Riku on Sora's other side. Their previous quarrel seemed to be forgotten.

Leon was, once again, leaning against a wall when he could have been sitting down. Aerith was seated on the arm of a larger couch with Yuffie and three other figures sitting on the cushions.

Katalin, feeling more than a little awkward, settled for the arm of the couch near Kairi. "Katalin, this is King Mickey," Leon gestured to a mouse wearing a red and black jacket with matching shorts, "Donald," a duck wearing a blue sailor outfit with multiple zippers, "and Goofy." He was the tallest of them all and was wearing a long sleeved green shirt with a black vest and yellow pants.

"Nice to meet you all," she mumbled shyly, unsure of whether or not she should bow or curtsey to the King. She was not very good at meeting new people.

"Katalin," King Mickey began in a higher voice than she'd imagined him having, "Can we see your Keyblade?"

Katalin was caught more than a little off-guard by the request, but she didn't need to be told twice. For the first time, she held out her right hand and tried to call upon the Keyblade...

... and she jumped a little when it flashed into her hand. It was as beautiful as she remembered but maybe more so now that she could see it clearly in the light. The hilt was the shape of the head of a fully bloomed rose, the body was covered by red and white roses, and the teeth were green thorns.

Beautiful and deadly.

King Mickey nodded. She could tell by solely looking into his eyes that he was thinking about something... but she had not a clue of what. "Alright," was all he said.

But the Keyblade remained in her hand. She felt her cheeks flush red once more as everyone stared at her. Katalin had not the slightest clue how to make it disappear to whatever realm it belonged. "Just, let it go. Let your thoughts of it go," Sora gently informed her. She did so and the Keyblade disappeared.

"We told the King about what happened already," murmured Kairi into Katalin's ear as Cid said something from his computer chair.

Katalin's eyebrows flew up her forehead. "How long have you been up?"

"Too long," Kairi mock-complained as she smiled gently.

King Mickey was speaking again. "Well, fellas, it's possible that the Heartless only appeared because of Katalin's heart, but... it still seems a little weird to me that so many would appear."

"You don't know what's going on?" asked Leon thoughtfully. The King shook his head.

"Not really, no," he admitted. "All I know is that as long as Maleficent and Pete are out there, we have to keep on our toes."

"Then, I can go home?" asked Katalin too loudly and eagerly. King Mickey didn't find her actions rude; in fact, he chuckled.

"Well, sure, but you're gonna have to come back here."

That was only slightly disappointing to her. She sent a questioning glance Kairi's way as she recalled the second message her mother had left her. Kairi seemed to know what she was asking and shook her head. "Tell him," she beseeched Katalin with a light nudge.

"I was listening to the messages on my phone yesterday, and I got one from my mom. I don't know if it's anything to worry about, but she mentioned that the gates in our backyard were open and that she saw someone in a long black jacket running through," Katalin informed the room at large.

Another look passed through the King's eyes that told her he was thinking but would probably not share his thoughts aloud. "That's... something I'll keep in mind. You fellas go back to Des Plaines for a few days and see if any other strange things happen. When you're done, come right back to the Radiant Garden."

"Are you going to stay while we're gone, Mickey?" asked Riku as he straightened up in his seat. Katalin had yet to hear anyone directly address the King and, judging by the surprised expressions around the room, it wasn't something that was supposed to happen.

King Mickey did not appear to care, and she wondered if he had given Riku the right to do so. "Possibly, but there are many worlds that need to be checked out."

Sora stood up and stretched. "Then, I guess we'll head back to Des Plaines for a few days."

"Before we leave, I think it might be a good idea to stock up on some stuff. You know, just in case," remarked Riku as he also got to his feet.

**XxxxxX**

After shopping around in the Marketplace for necessary items (such as potions, ethers, etc) and unnecessary ones (Kairi and Katalin insisted on buying some chocolate among other things), they boarded the Gummi Ship once again.

Kairi passed the time by having Katalin tell her some stuff about her life: her friends, family, and what Des Plaines was like. Before they knew it, they were disembarking at said word.

When they left the Radiant Garden, it had been around seven, but it appeared to be later in the afternoon in Des Plaines. Children in Katalin's neighborhood chased each other with Super Soakers and water balloons while some of the homeowners got their gardening supplies together.

Having perfectly touched down on her street, Katalin confidently led the way down the sidewalk and to her house. She lived in a relatively nice townhouse at the end of the street, near a soccer field.

Once they were just a house away from her own, Katalin froze in her tracks. Kairi, Sora, and Riku bumped into her as a result. "What is it?" demanded Riku quickly, appearing ready to call his weapon.

A tall boy was stretched out on her driveway, looking toward the sky with a bored expression. He had, at one point or another, been a classmate of hers at school, but she had never expected him to appear at her house. The boy readjusted his turquoise baseball cap and happened to look toward them at that moment.

Katalin's heart skipped a beat as a faint smile adorned his lips and he walked over to meet them. "Well, well, well. It's about time."

**XxxxxX**

"What's your newest plan?" a particularly large and annoyed man/dog demanded. He was standing in one of the darker rooms of the castle and was facing another person with impatience.

The second person cackled. "Calm yourself, impudent fool. Did I not tell you my plan? Everything is in place, all we must do is initiate it. Of course, since the attack did not work as well I had hoped, we may have lost precious time, but...--"

"Work as well as you hoped? It didn't work at all! The Keyblade wielder got away and the _others _chased away the Heartless. Had you just let _me _go..." growled the man.

"Had I allowed you to go, you would have, undoubtedly, ruined the plan all together. Besides, I thought that you were not good with confrontation?" She raised a fine, questioning black eyebrow.

The man tried to laugh but it came out as an odd whimper. "Confronting the real threats is my weakness, and you can't blame me after all the trouble they've given me. Even I could have handled grabbing the girl."

The woman cackled once again. Her long painted fingernails tapped against the arm of her stone throne. "I'm sure that the girl would have had no trouble dealing with you. Have you forgotten who she is?"

At this question, the man did not respond. He was eyeing a crystal ball in the center of the room with mild interest. "Where do we go from here?"

"As I said before: all systems are go. From here, all we must decide is where do we start..."

* * *

**A/n: Not really action-filled, sorry. Dx We'll probably meet Darcie in the next chapter! Hah, I need to check how many new characters I introduce to this. xD' Anyway, please review. Until next chapturr. :D**


	4. I Keep on with Nothing to Fear

**Chapter Four:**

I Keep on with Nothing to Fear

**A/n: :O I got two reviews last chapter -- I'm so excited. xDD Thank you Lesser -heart- and AccessBlade! This chapter is going to take place in - mostly - Des Plaines alone, but it'll be... more or less fun. Next chapter should take place a few days later in the story. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Kingdom Hearts, just my three OCs.**

_'Mata yo ga akereba owakare_

_Yume wa tooki maboroshi ni_

_Anata wo oikakete ita hikari no naka de_

_Dakareru tabi atatakai kaze wo tayori.'_

**-"Shiki no Uta" by MINMI**

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* * *

  
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"Who are you?" demanded Sora point-blank once he sensed Katalin's distress. His emotions could change so quickly; one minute he was all happy and joking, and the next he was forceful. He didn't realize, of course, _why _she was distressed.

"Shawn," replied the boy as he raised an eyebrow. He was about Riku's height, meaning that he was quite taller than Sora. This fact hardly seemed to face the shorter brunet.

In an effort to diffuse the fusion, Katalin spoke. "Shawn, what are you doing here? Actually, how do you even know where I live?" The two of them hadn't had a class together for a year, and the only time they saw each other was in the halls during passing periods.

The tension eased as Shawn broke into a grin. "Internet," he replied, half-laughing. A thought flitted through his mind, and his smile faded. "Everyone's been going crazy looking for you."

She tried to appear unperturbed by his words but failed miserably. "I've only been gone for about a day."

At this, Shawn raised both of his eyebrows. "More like two days." Katalin was quite sure she would never remember how to breathe again.

Kairi put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "I guess we should've mentioned something sooner, Kat; time flows differently between worlds."

"But... but...! How is that even possible?" she demanded of any of them.

Riku stared at her flatly. "Katalin, does any of this seem possible to you?" He had a point. Shawn cleared his throat in order to remind them of his presence.

"Anyway, your mom should be happy to hear you're home."

"Wasn't she a little confused... and concerned that you've been sitting in our driveway?" asked Katalin. The thought was quite humorous, but she couldn't find the strength to laugh.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe? Anyway, she's not home right now."

An all too familiar howl emitted from the house. Katalin looked toward the front window to find a large, black labrador retriever perched on the windowsill. Some things, at least, hadn't changed. "This is all great and everything, but what are you doing here?" she repeated. It pleased her that she could act businesslike when it felt like the world was crashing around her.

"The night that your mom found out you were missing, some strange stuff was happening here," began Shawn thoughtfully. "A bunch of black bugs were running around and stuff. One tried to attack my dog, and I went outside to get it to back off. When I did, uh..." He was abruptly hesitant, glancing from left to right as if he was afraid of being heard. "Something happened."

Kairi and Sora seemed unable to follow, but Riku and Katalin understood where the conversation was going. "Let me guess," started Riku as he held out his left hand. "Did something like this happen?" Way to Dawn flashed into his hand, and Shawn flinched somewhat.

He nodded. "Pretty much."

Sora rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe there was more to that Heartless invasion than we thought..."

"Heartless?" repeated Shawn.

"We need to explain a lot -- again. Can we go inside and talk about this?" Sora asked Katalin.

She clicked her tongue. "Hm. About that... I don't have my keys, so... I'll have to go around back. Can you wait at the door while I go around?" added Katalin to Sora, Riku, and Kairi as she headed for the front gate. They nodded and Shawn followed her up the lawn. "Shawn, you're tall. Give me a boost over the gate."

"There's... no other way to get in?" he asked although he hardly seemed concerned. If anything, he seemed delighted to be doing things the more dangerous way.

Katalin glanced back at him, shook her head, and grasped the wood of the fence. "Okay, just give me a boost..."

Quicker than she'd anticipated, Shawn swept her onto his shoulders and lifted her up. She momentarily forgot to breathe. That was, until, he hurled her over the fence. Katalin hit the pool of rocks on the other side of the fence with an audible crash. "Shawn," gasped Katalin once she was able to breathe again, "I didn't tell you to throw me over; I just wanted you to lift me up."

"Katalin, are you okay?" called Kairi from the front door.

She nodded and, realizing she couldn't see her, gave a verbal confirmation. When she stood back up and headed around the back of the house, she found that she was relieved that she was wearing jeans; only her arms would suffer from the fall. As she wrenched open the unlocked backdoor, her cell phone began to play the chorus of "I Get it" by Chevelle.

Katalin flipped open her phone at the same time as she entered the house. "Hello?"

"Finally, Kat! Where the hell have you been? Everyone's been worried sick!" shouted an angry girl on the other line. It was none other than...

"Darcie! Oh, Darcie. It's so nice to hear your voice, Darc," cried Katalin with more emotion than she had expected.

Darcie was just as surprised. "Are you okay, Kat?" But she didn't wait for a response. "I'm coming over there right now. You're home, right?"

Again, Katalin nodded and realized that she couldn't be seen. Maybe it was for the best that Darcie join them. "Yeah. Come on over," she said at the same time as she wrenched open the front door.

**XxxxxX**

Shawn awaited, impatiently, for Darcie to arrive before any explaining began. Sora wasn't quite sure about including another person -- one who didn't, in his eyes, need to know about the situation -- in on the conversation, at which point Katalin told him that she wouldn't go back to the Radiant Garden if Darcie didn't get to know. Only, she chose to explain this to him with a vulgar set of words instead.

When the doorbell rang and Darcie entered the house, Shawn all but shouted, "Can you explain what's going on now?"

The brunette threw a glance his way, glanced back at Katalin, and looked back toward Shawn. She was more than a little confused at the present situation.

A confusion which only increased when she spotted the spiky-haired brunet, the silver-haired boy, and the auburn-haired girl sitting around the living room. Out of the three of them, Kairi looked the most normal. Except for the fact that her dress was a... bit out of the norm.

"...Kat, are you having an orgy?" asked Darcie with slightly raised eyebrows. Her dark, medium-length brunet hair was the epitome of norm in the room. Usually, this would be the opposite; particularly in the past years when she had dyed her hair blue (and the blue had given way to green), bleached the ends of her brown hair, bleached all of her hair completely, gotten pink tips, and many other styles. Currently, her dark hair hugged her face and the back of her neck. Katalin could tell by the way that her best friend was staring that she badly wanted to ask Riku what type of dye he used before asking Sora about the gel he used for his hair.

The thought made Katalin giggle, as did Darcie's original question. "An orgy? Of course not. I'm gone for -- what, two days? -- and you expect me to come home and have an orgy?" She tried to take on a stern tone, but it did her no good; again, she broke out in the giggles. This was a common occurrance when she was around her best friend.

The other four in the room obviously felt out of the loop; this was further exemplified when Riku cleared his throat. "Just tell the shorter version, Sora," he murmured as he absentmindedly scratched Midnight's, Katalin's dog, ears. Katalin loved how her dog acted toward strangers: friendly and loving.

"Darcie, this is Sora, Kairi, and Riku. They... helped me," began Katalin rather lamely as she gestured to each one of the Keyblade wielders. Sora grinned in response, Kairi waved, and Riku nodded upward. **(A/n: Because he's badass like that.) **Darcie badly wanted to ask Kat what she was talking about but waited to hear the story before saying anything. "Shawn goes to our school." The introduction, thought Shawn, was a bit odd. The expression on both girls' faces was even weirder. He said nothing, wanting to only hear what Sora had to say.

Once Darcie and Katalin were ready to calm down, Sora jumped into the explanation of all things Keyblade, Heartless, and Nobody related. Then, he allowed Katalin to fill them in on what had happened to her a few nights ago in Des Plaines. She ended the story at the point of... just that morning. After the meeting with the King. Although Darcie didn't say anything, Katalin could see the wheels turning in her head. She waited, not at all awkwardly for her (though it was another story for the others), but Darcie never got to speak her mind.

The laundry room's door flew open, and Katalin jumped as Midnight barked and ran to meet whoever was entering the house. She wondered how he would feel if he could realize that Uncle wasn't coming back. Mostly, she wondered this because the reality still hadn't set in for _her_. Her mother, a short woman with short and light blond hair, gasped audibly at the sight of Katalin. "Katalin, I was-- why didn't you call?" she demanded instantly, her chocolate eyes narrowing. "You've been gone for two days, and... Hold on. Where's Uncle?"

Katalin licked her lips and swallowed hard so that she didn't have to answer right away. Although no one in the living room was looking back at them (aside from Darcie, who was standing a foot or so behind Kat), she knew that they were all listening intently. "He's gone. Not coming back."

Confusion concealed her mother's features. "I... don't understand."

"He lost his heart, may as well have died, really," laughed Katalin bitterly. She caught herself quickly before she could lose it. "Anyway, while we were at the Nature Center, we got attacked by these creatures called Heartless. They attacked Uncle and took his heart. Then, when I was trying to get away, I found out that I could wield a Keyblade. A Keyblade is the only weapon that can harm a Heartless, by the way. Anyway, I found out I could use one of those, but then I got thrown into the river, and I nearly drowned. Luckily, Kairi," she gestured to the redhead, "saved me. Then she, Sora, and Riku," she gestured to them, too, "took me to another world where I met a King. And here I am. I guess time passes differently between worlds, but I've only been gone for a day in reality. Here, I've been gone for two."

The thing that Katalin had feared the most was happening: her mother was staring at her with an understanding expression. An expression that, she knew, meant she thought her daughter needed to be inspected by a therapist. "Oh, God, please don't send me to a mental institution; it's all real, I swear." When she realized how close she sounded to crying, she mentally cursed; crying around anyone was never fine for her, particularly in a room filled with mostly strangers. Crying in front of Darcie and her mother was only slightly alright in her book.

"She's not crazy, I promise," Sora informed her as he stood to stand beside Katalin. "We can prove it." He glanced back at Katalin, and she nodded after receiving his mental message.

In perfect unison, they held out their hands and called upon their Keyblades. Kingdom Key appeared in Sora's hand while Katalin's appeared in hers. Her mother backed off a few paces. She had never expected to have her mother look at her that way: so frightened, so confused. "Mom, I don't really know what's going on, but there's something evil going on here and it involves me."

"Uncle is gone?" her mother mumbled. The fear hadn't quite left her eyes, but it was now sharing the space with sadness. Katalin nodded because she couldn't get her mouth to admit to it. "And you...?"

"I have to go with Sora, Riku, and Kairi. Then, we're going to find out what's going on." She paused and added in a voice full of awe, "and I'm going to help save other worlds."

Her mother felt terrified; she could feel the raw emotion radiating off of her like heat was emitted from the sun. "You'll do... great things."

A wry smile upturned the corners of Katalin's mouth. Three days ago, she had been recalling the moments when her grandfather had told her that same thing.

**XxxxxX**

For any parent, it was difficult to let a child go. Most parents, luckily, only had to deal with their children going off to college with the promise that they would, of course, visit at least every other weekend. Her mother had to deal with her completely leaving their world and visiting new ones. Katalin had cleverly left out the part that she could, like her uncle, lose her heart and never come back home.

The sake of other worlds be damned, her mother would not have allowed her to leave her room ever again. It was too difficult (particularly in the present day economy) to pay the mortgage on a house on your lonesome, so her mother was going to stay with her aunt, cousin, and grandmother for a while. Until Katalin returned.

As she was packing, Katalin's mother made one final request of herself. While her mother threw clothes into a suitcase, Katalin had sat on the waterbed -- thus leaving the others to talk amongst themselves downstairs. "Katalin, I will miss you and worry about you every minute of every day, but there's something you can do to ease my mind just a little."

"What's that?" Katalin had asked, eager to make her mother less anxious, even if it was only by a slim percentage.

"It may not be very easy to convince her parents of this, but I want you to bring Darcie with you." To some, it may have seemed a strange request, but not to her. Her mother would be more confident in Katalin's departure so long as someone familiar was with her. That way, she figured, she'd have to come back.

In a way, Katalin was relieved, too. The last thing she wanted to do was to leave Darcie in a world that was susceptible to another Heartless attack where there would be no defenders. Aside from that, she would really like Darcie's company alone. Sora had no choice but to allow her to come along.

After a short spat with her parents (that involved the Keyblade wielders showing off their weapons once again), Darcie was given permission to leave with Katalin and the others when they departed in a few days. Sora still thought it a good idea to stick around Des Plaines to see if they could figure out what was going on.

Until they returned to the Radiant Garden, Katalin's mother vowed to stay home in order to be sure that they ate and didn't do anything too inappropriate. However, her mother had a rule. "The boys will have to stay at Shawn's house."

It didn't bother Kairi, Katalin, or Darcie much. In fact, it hardly bothered them at all. The guys, on the other hand, were not quite so pleased. "But what if something happens to you three? We're a good ten minutes away!" protested Sora after Katalin disclosed the news later that afternoon. They were gathered in her backyard with Katalin leaning in the door frame.

Kairi raised a thin red eyebrow. "Sora, we're _Keyblade _wielders,"

"And I have badass ninja moves," added Darcie.

Fighting back a laugh, Katalin remarked, "I think we'll be okay. If we need you, we'll just call you and hold the monsters at bay while awaiting your arrival."

Darcie eased herself back so that the white patio chair stood on its back legs. "It's a good thing the guys will be staying at another house; your freshman lover would be pretty jealous if you had three guys staying in your heart."

For an inexplicable reason, Katalin's cheeks burned with embarrassment. Shawn, on the other hand, scowled. "That loser, Nick? Yeah, he'd want to be over here instead so that he could sleep with you."

Katalin and Darcie fixed him with an incredulous stare. They hadn't known Shawn remotely well until just a few hours ago (and vice versa), but they were already acting like they'd been friends for years. "Suddenly you're a mind reader?" demanded an annoyed Katalin. She couldn't quite place where the annoyance was coming from...

He shrugged. "Once you go to our school, it's pretty much the same between guys. Except for me, of course."

Darcie rolled her eyes. "Of _course_."

**XxxxxX**

Not wanting to sit at home all night, Kairi, Darcie, and Katalin decided to walk the guys to Shawn's house around nine. Sora, always quick to get nervous when it came to Kairi, paused at the front door and asked, "Are you sure you'll be okay getting back home?"

The girls exchanged a conspiratorial glance before Kairi nodded. "Of course, Sora. We can take care of ourselves," she told him confidently.

Darcie tried her hardest not to laugh. They weren't going back _home_. After they finished saying their goodbyes, the girls walked across the street to a school's ground. They passed over baseball fields and headed onto a bike trail that, as children, Darcie and Katalin had raced on. Being the faster of the two, Darcie had one; Katalin supposed this was a good thing if they got attacked by Heartless. A small grin adorned her lips briefly at the thought.

The moon was full and surrounded by multiple stars in the sky. Usually, they were lucky to see _any _stars, but... Maybe the knowledge of the existence of other worlds allowed them to see more of the stars/distant worlds. They spoke of the most interesting things to happen in their personal lives recently and, eventually, got on the subject of guys. Or, at least, the subject of Katalin and Darcie teasing Kairi about Sora.

"He's cute, Sora is," remarked Katalin, "and he obviously cares about you a _lot_." Kairi's cheeks burned as deep a red as her hair.

"I... uh..."

"The two of you drew pictures of each other exchanging Paopu fruits, right?" asked Darcie. At Kairi's nod, she continued, "And a Paopu fruit, on your island, represents love and staying with each other forever. I think that's symbolic enough."

They stopped antagonizing Kairi once they reached the end of the bike trail several minutes later and crossed the street, which was mostly empty of cars. "Shouldn't we worry about curfew?" asked Kairi once they crossed the street and entered the parking lot of a skate park.

Katalin and Darcie giggled. "Curfew? Right," they laughed, besides themselves. "Besides, there are worst things than police officers out here, aren't there?" added Katalin with a grin. "We'll be fine; don't worry. We've never been caught before."

Kairi became more at ease as they took a right in the parking lot and headed toward several ramps. "I'm... surprised not to see any of the druggies out tonight," admitted Darcie as she sat down on one of the ramps. Katalin headed over to a half-ramp and lay down in the center of it, leaving Kairi to take a large four-sided pyramid ramp.

"Is this where you go when you want to think?" the Princess asked no one in particular as she stared up at the stars and the moon.

"Sure," replied Katalin with a nod. "I mean, we can't go to the beach or anything like you can, so this is what we do," she added with a wry smirk.

"I go to a park near my house -- or to the field near there," remarked Darcie. "It's pretty relaxing, but... nothing beats Wood Chip mountain."

Katalin giggled. "Yep, there's nothing like adrenaline flowing through your veins while exploring a place you, most likely, shouldn't be."

A puzzled Kairi inquired, "What's Wood Chip Mountain?"

"It's a large stack of Wood Chips located behind the park near my house. There's also a mountain of garbage and dirt, but I find Wood Chip the most fun. They hold onto extra wood chips and dirt for the park. We probably shouldn't be there, but..." Darcie broke off with a shrug. "We haven't been stopped yet."

Kairi laughed. "That's the kind of people you two are, huh? You do whatever you like until you get in trouble for it?" she asked with an admirable smile.

The other two broke into yet another giggle fit. "I... suppose you could say that, sure," agreed Katalin. They fell momentarily silent as each of them drifted into their own thoughts.

That was, until they heard the telltale sound of scampering feet. It was a noise that Kairi could place almost immediately. She bolted upward and called upon Radiant Destiny **(A/n: I'll settle on this name... for now) **just as a Shadow jumped at her. Out of reaction more than skill, Kairi swiped at the Shadow and killed it instantly.

Darcie was up almost immediately and rolled out of the way of a Neoshadow's advances. Katalin, who had a slightly slower reaction time than the other two, jumped up just as a Shadow crawled onto her back. A well aimed beam of light from Radiant Destiny killed the Heartless instantly.

Katalin quickly called upon her Keyblade as a large figure stepped out of a portal. "Well, well, well! Way to make things easy on me," the large man remarked with a wide grin.

Kairi scowled. "Pete!"

Said dog-man chuckled. "This'll be like taking candy from a baby." He snapped and more Heartless appeared and surrounded them.

The three fell into a back-to-back position. Kairi and Katalin held their Keyblades at the ready while Darcie glowered at the fact that she had nothing to defend herself with. A group of Neoshadows jumped at her and, before Kairi or Katalin could help, Darcie found herself smothered.

This did not last long enough for either girl to call out. A bright light emitted from the bottom of the pile, and the Heartless were thrown off. Darcie stood up and dusted herself while staring in wonder at her right hand.

Pete faltered. "... Maybe this won't be so easy after all."

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**A/n: Wow. I was quite concerned that this chapter was going to be over 7,000 words but, as it turns out, I just copied and pasted this chapter AND last chapter. Oops. xD (You see, I keep the story together in one place on my USB port... just in case. xD) Please review, and I will update soon. :3 (Probably today, actually because I have the most inspiration for this story and I owe Lesser. :D) **


	5. Wake Me Up Inside

**Chapter Four:**

Wake Me Up Inside

**A/n: Ha, I lied at the beginning of last chapter; this is definitely not starting off a few days where the last chapter left off. That would be cruel. xD So, despite the fact that I'm sick from a lack of sleep and eating and stuff, I am proving that I have yet to learn my lesson by writing this. xD**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Kingdom Hearts.**

_'Wake me up inside._

_Tell me there's a reason_

_To take another step,_

_To get up off my knees and _

_Follow this path of most resistance._

_And wherever it takes us;_

_Whatever it faces and wherever it leads.'_

**-"Under the Knife" by Rise Against**

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"Another Keyblade wielder. Oh, rats!" cursed Pete as he stared at the three Keyblade wielders. "Maleficent's not gonna be happy."

The hilt of Darcie's Keyblade appeared to be made of two black wings with the hilt itself silver. **(A/n: The hilt of her Keyblade is the same as Oathkeeper's -- with black wings.) **The body was also black and had white crabapple petals and heads on it. Its teeth resembled claws. Darcie had not another moment to stare at it as more Heartless gathered around her.

"Just flail with it!" called Katalin when she noticed Darcie in a battle stance, not yet ready to attack the Heartless. Darcie lunged out at the nearest Shadow and, as her best friend had instructed, 'flailed' with the Keyblade, thus destroying the creature.

"All in favor of not telling the guys about this tonight," began Katalin as she destroyed a Shadow, "say 'I'."

"I!" agreed Darcie and Kairi immediately as they destroyed the Heartless surrounding them. Disheartened at the lack of Heartless and the three Keyblade wielders, Pete began to back away.

"This ain't over yet, kiddies. Not even close!" he promised before disappearing into a black portal.

Darcie raised her eyebrows. "That was... anti-climatic," she remarked as her Keyblade disappeared. Despite that fact, the three of them were breathing heavily. "I really think it's time to go home."

"I... couldn't agree with you more," agreed Kairi as Radiant Destiny Disappeared. Katalin stared at Beautiful Disaster and Darcie at Noir's Blossoms. "Just let go of your attachment to them, and they'll disappear." They did as Kairi informed them, and, sure enough, the Keyblade disappeared in flashes of light.

As they made the long walk back to Katalin's house, they had the eerie feeling that they were being followed. Or, at the very least, watched. Once they were around the corner from Katalin's house, they were stopped by a police officer. "Fuck," breathed Darcie as the flashing lights blazed in the dark sky and stopped beside them.

Kairi pushed her hair behind her ear as an officer stepped out of the squad car. "Good evening, ladies," he greeted them pleasantly. They were hardly fooled by the pleasantries. "Alright, alright. I apologize, but I do have to ask my favorite question. What are you doing out here? It's way past your curfew." As he came a little closer, he noticed that they had some cuts and that they were, overall, unsettled. "...What happened to you?" The police officer's tone became much more concerned.

They exchanged a quick glance. What were they going to tell him? Yes, good evening sir. We're fine now, but we just fought some Heartless that this man named Pete summoned in the park. Incidentally, you wouldn't happen to know where this world's keyhole is, would you?

Katalin's own mother had stared at her like she was crazy until she showed her her Keyblade. Even if they showed their weapons to the police officer, they wouldn't get off easily.

The police officer shifted as he awaited their answer. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to bring you ladies with me." Maybe it was nothing, but Katalin noticed light silver/gray hair poking from beneath the hat and bright blue eyes surveyed them. The tips of the hair was black, and it very much reminded Katalin of the description Riku had given of a man from Castle Oblivion.

"You're not a police officer," accused Katalin as Beautiful Disaster appeared once again into her hand. Kairi and Darcie fixed her with horrified expressions. She was threatening a police officer, or that is what it looked like. Now she was almost sure that... "You're Zexion."

The name clicked in the minds of Kairi and Darcie immediately. They recognized him from what Riku had said about Castle Oblivion. Their Keyblades appeared in their hands once more.

Scowling, the police officer was enveloped by darkness and a tall, silver-haired man stood before them with his arms folded. "Very clever."

"An Organization member? What do you want? How are you...?" trailed off Kairi. Her hands were shaking. Katalin and Darcie knew that Organization members were serious business but, as they'd never met one, they didn't know what to expect. Kairi glanced back at Katalin. "Alright, it's time to tell the others. Contact Shawn."

Darcie stepped forward with her Keyblade as she and Kairi prepared to take on Zexion. At the same time, Katalin hung back whilst punching in Shawn's number. She thanked the gods that he'd given her his number before they parted. Her fingers shook and pressed the wrong buttons as she attempted to text message him, something that she wasn't particularly fast at.

A large, black lexicon appeared into Zexion's hands. Once Katalin finished the call, a cyclone emitted from the book and began to steadily suck the three of them in. Darcie cursed at the fact that suburbs badly lacked grass. She reached out and stuck her Keyblade into a nearby lawn and held on for dear life. Kairi tried and failed to do the same thing and got sucked into the book. "... That can't be good," remarked Katalin. She was surprised to hear her own voice a whimper.

Before Darcie could open her mouth to make a remark, Zexion abruptly appeared behind her and grabbed her. "What the hell?!" As he held onto her, she began to feel steadily weaker and weaker until...

Beautiful Disaster separated the Organization member from her best friend. Zexion stood hunched over for a minute, dazed. Katalin lunged forward and attacked the hell out of his lexicon. Darcie recovered quickly and joined in on the assault. With a burst of darkness, Zexion knocked them away just as Kairi was hurled out of the book. He looked more annoyed than he did injured. "Three Keyblade wielders, two of which just got their weapons, and you can't take them? Surprise, surprise," a voice chucked from behind the Schemer. The new voice was amused and extremely cold; it sent chills down the girls' spines.

"Marluxia," snarled Zexion as if the name alone was poisonous.

"Another Organization member," groaned Darcie as a masculine figure dressed in a black jacket approached them. He threw off his hood in order to reveal light pink hair that seemed to flow everywhere. "... And he's not that intimidating."

Marluxia glowered at Darcie. "Allow me to remind you what the orders were, Zexion: Grab the Princess of Heart. Leave the other two for the time being. Once you trapped her in your book, you could have just left."

"Like it's that easy. If you think you can do it better then, by all means," Zexion gestured to the girls. While Marluxia stared at the other Organization member, Kairi, Katalin, and Darcie surged forward as one. Kairi attacked Zexion with Radiant Destiny while Katalin and Darcie smashed Marluxia with their keyblades. A large scythe with a pink blade flashed into Marluxia's hands and, with a gust of cherry blossoms, blew Darcie and Katalin away from him.

"Kairi! Katalin! Darcie!" called Sora from just a few feet away. The first few layers of skin on Darcie's left arm were burned off as she slid against the ground. Katalin had cuts around her face and cheek from the blossoms. Kairi, on the other hand, was holding up very well against Zexion. Sora wasted no time in joining her nonetheless.

Way to Dawn flashed into Riku's hand as he lunged at Marluxia, who blocked with his scythe. "Now _this _is annoying," growled the Assassin before sending a shockwave with more petals at Riku. The attack was mostly magic, making it impossible for Riku to block, and throwing him back as a result. "This is pointless. Let's go. You three, we'll see you soon," promised Marluxia as he called upon a portal. Zexion summoned a meteor shower before retreating into the portal with Marluxia directly behind him.

Sora managed to cast an Aeroga spell before the meteors touched ground.

**XxxxxX**

"Sounds like a big night for you three," remarked Shawn with what Kairi thought was an inappropriate smile. There had been nothing fun about the night aside from the brief talk they'd had in the skate park.

Apparently, Katalin was thinking the same thing because she said, "Don't smile. This was big but no where near entertaining. I want sleep." They were sitting at Katalin's dining room table with the lights on low so as to not awake her mother.

After the girls had explained what had happened, Riku had steadily been looking like he might break something. "Pete, the Organization... Who the hell would revive the Organization?"

"Maleficent?" suggested Darcie although her heart wasn't really in it. Her chin was resting on one of her hands, and it looked like she would fall asleep at any second.

Sora shook his head. "No. She _hated _them. There must be a reason..."

"The reason can be discovered in the morning, right?" asked Kairi as she stood up and stretched. "I'm beyond ready to sleep."

"Alright, you guys can stay down here. If you awake to my mom beating you up, well... deal with it," suggested Katalin with a small smile. "Two of you are going to have to share the couch; it pulls out into a futon. The third one can take the couch." Neither she, nor Darcie, nor Kairi awaited to see the sleeping arrangements the boys decided as they headed upstairs. "Blankets and pillows are in the closet."

Shawn, Sora, and Riku exchanged a brief glance before their eyes snapped to the small blue couch. "Mine!" They shouted in unison, but Shawn made it there first. Scowling, Riku turned on Sora.

"The futon better be big," he murmured before turning back towards said futon with a glare.

**XxxxxX**

As Kairi had done for her the previous night, Katalin lent her a pair of pajamas. She grabbed the cot and lay it out into a flatter position. "My bed's a twin, so it's going to be a tight fit," remarked Katalin as she pulled out spare blankets and pillows.

Darcie groaned, "Well, it wouldn't be fair for me to make Kairi sleep in the same bed as you; she's not used to your ways of pushing and kicking." Katalin elbowed her.

They settled in, a few moments later, with Katalin against the wall and Darcie beside her. Katalin had already hurled her numerous amounts of stuffed animals at the redhead in order to make her, "more comfortable."

Before either Katalin or Darcie could sleep, despite how tired they were, they found it necessary to uphold tradition. "What tradition?" asked Kairi with a yawn. They could hear the guys speaking in hushed tones downstairs.

"We always have a 'girl talk' before we sleep," replied Darcie. "We've pretty much never gone without one of those. Since you're new, Kairi, why don't you bring up something?"

Kairi became thoughtfully quiet. After a minute or so, she said, "Alright, I have one. Would you rather be blind or deaf?"

Katalin and Darcie laughed. "Hardly what we had in mind, but alright. You first, Kat," remarked Darcie.

"Deaf. I couldn't live without being able to see such beautiful things. Darc?"

"Blind. I love my music," laughed Darcie. "Kairi?"

"Deaf. I would miss the sounds of the ocean, but I much prefer watching the sun set and rise, anyway."

Yawning, Darcie remarked, "That's cute. I feel like a nonconformist now," she laughed. "I'm ready for bed. 'Night Kat, Kairi."

"Night."

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**A/n: I think that was action-filled enough and, besides that, I don't think I can force myself to sit at this computer and type anymore. Dx' Next chapter, they'll be leaving Des Plaines. :3 Please review, and I will go... rest up so that I stop feeling so awful. xD'**


	6. Running in Place

**Chapter Five:**

**Running in Place**

**A/n: Kayso, first, thank you to everyone who reviewed. Am love at you reviewers. :33 Just a quick note: If you don't like multiple Keyblade wielders, then I suggest not reading any more than this because there's probably going to be more. x3 Just a warning. Other than that, no flames plz. Kthx. **

**I'm not sure how action-filled this chapter will be... I have many ideas for this story, though. It's just a matter of putting 'em all together.  
**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Just the OCs & plot.**

_'Tell my mother,_

_Tell my father_

_I've done the best I can_

_To make them realize_

_This is my life._

_I hope they understand.'_

**-"Second Chance" by Shinedown**

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**

Katalin could not force herself up the next morning.

She rolled over in her bed and pretended, if only for a moment, that everything with Zexion, Marluxia, Pete, the Keyblades -- _all _of it -- had been nothing more than a bad dream. When she rolled over once more, she didn't bump into another body. Groaning, she forced her pale hazel-green eyes opened in order to get a better look at the room.

It was empty.

The cot was no longer there.

Surprise and, she noticed, delight built up inside of her chest as she forced herself up. There was no sign that anyone other than herself had been in the room. As she sat up and stared straight ahead, she took in her appearance with a frown. Cuts were still covering her face, and her hair was a mess.

She pursed her lips. Not a dream, after all. Katalin forced herself out of bed, still in her pajama pants and tank top, and exited her room to start the search for Kairi and Darcie. Once she opened her door, her senses were assaulted by the scent of pancakes, eggs, and bacon.

As she descended the stairs, Shawn was the first to spot her. He grinned at, what she assumed was, her unkempt appearance. "'Morning, Kat." He was so cheerful sounding that she didn't have the willpower to remind him they'd only met the previous day and, as such, he shouldn't be using her nickname.

Katalin felt like a fool once she spotted Darcie and Kairi. Both of them were fully dressed and nice-looking. Pursing her lips, Katalin tried, with difficulty, to force down her dark blond hair. As she headed into the kitchen and grabbed some food, a dream that she had the previous night came rushing at her.

A girl that she had not recognized, wielding a black and white Keyblade had been surrounded by Nobodies. At least, what Katalin had assumed were Nobodies from Riku's description. The girl had platinum blond hair and had been dressed in a simple white sun dress. She had been kind looking but, at the same time, extremely melancholy.

"Katalin?" Riku's voice startled her into almost throwing her plate. When she looked at him, his eyebrows were knitted together. "You okay?"

Should she tell him about the girl? No, of course not. Last night had been trying enough; the last thing she needed to was bring up a topic that probably meant nothing. "Yeah."

"I have to go get my stuff, and then we should go look for the keyhole, right?" asked Shawn, raising his voice to the others as he entered the kitchen and dropped his silverware into the sink. "Meaning someone you should probably get dressed. Unless, of course, that's what you're planning to wear."

Shawn's appearance made up Katalin's mind for her. She rolled her eyes and turned around as she grabbed a forkful of eggs and stuffed them into her mouth. "I now recall why I rarely bothered speaking with you last year," she noted with her mouth full as she narrowed her eyes at Shawn.

"And I now remember why we called Eric the girl of your friendship," shot back Shawn with a satisfied grin as her cheeks burned red.

Before Shawn and Katalin could break out into a full out fight, Riku remarked, "Katalin, your mother wasn't very happy to see us this morning."

Grinning, she turned towards him, relieved not to be looking at Shawn's aggravating face, "Did she beat you up?"

"Kind of," answered Sora as he entered the kitchen and stacked his plate in the sink. "We were forced to tell her why we were there."

Katalin bit her lip. "Shit. I guess that means she's going to lock me in this house for forever, then?"

"No, no," replied Sora, "she was worried, but she was really gracious that we were there to help."

"She was even more gracious last night," stated Shawn with a perverted smile. Darcie, who Katalin hadn't noticed entering the kitchen, flicked some extra pancake batter at him.

Shaking his head, Riku remarked, "That was a terrible joke. Anyway, your mom was really happy when we made breakfast."

Katalin blinked. "_You _guys made breakfast? It's surprisingly good."

Riku scowled. "What, did you buy into the stereotype that dudes can't cook?"

"Well, no, but... it's still a surprise."

**XxxxxX**

Twenty minutes later, Katalin said her final goodbye to her mother before gathering her stuff together. Midnight tried to leave with them but was hindered in the action once Katalin's mother threw some treats his way. Her mother followed them outside, as did the dog. "Go on ahead!" called Katalin to the others as she turned to speak with her mother. Sora raised a hand in acknowledgment and went on with everyone but Darcie.

"Meet us at the school's park!" remarked Shawn as they disappeared down the street.

"I'll try to get in touch with you somehow," promised Katalin as she hugged her mother. Her mother's cheeks brushed her forehead.

"Just be safe. That's all I ask," whispered her mother before they parted. She exchanged a brief hug with Darcie as well. "I hope that I'll see you two soon?"

Both girls nodded despite the fact that they had their hunches it would be a long time until they returned home. Katalin stooped to rub Midnight's stomach for the final time and she and Darcie stood in the yard for a few minutes before finally heading for the park where Sora, Kairi, and Riku had already arrived.

Kairi was hanging by her legs from the faded orange monkey bars in the wooden park. Sora had both of his legs hanging over a red chain bridge, and Riku was leaning against one of the walls of the school (it was a school park, after all) looking nonchalant. As they walked down the bike path, Kairi waved vigorously from her upside down position and Sora dropped off of the red chains. "Any ideas where the keyhole could possibly be?" he asked as he approached Darcie and Katalin.

Leave it to Sora to be business right away. "I have a thought, but the place is kind of far."

"Then, we'll take my sister's car. You can drive, right?" said Shawn to Darcie as he soundlessly appeared behind them. Katalin jumped and Darcie glanced at the boy with an annoyed expression.

"Yeah. Will your sister care?"

Shawn shrugged. "I stole her straightener, and she has yet to take it back from me." Well, that explained a lot. "And she uses that more often than she does the car."

**XxxxxX**

The ride to the lake where Katalin thought the keyhole passed relatively smoothly and quickly. She was able to claim the passenger seat as only she could remember how to get to the lake although Darcie remembered relatively fast. In the back seat, Kairi was sitting on Sora's lap because there were only three seats. Much to everyone's amusement but theirs, Sora and Kairi blushed the whole way.

When Darcie parked the navy blue Cavalier in the parking lot, she murmured, "I really feel like we should be in school. No maybes about it, actually; we _should _be there."

"Yeah, we're missing finals," remarked Katalin, who had already missed her Chemistry and English final.

Shawn shrugged as he climbed out of the back seat, knocking his head on the ceiling in the process. "Stop sounding so choked up about it; it's a good thing."

Darcie raised her eyebrows. Neither she nor Katalin loved school, but they recognized the importance of doing well there. "For you, maybe; you happen to be a Sophomore. We, on the other hand, are Juniors and every little bit counts."

"I can't even keep track of how much school the three of us have missed," mentioned Riku as he slid out of the car after Shawn. "Maybe we'll ask King Mickey to write us a note or something," he added with a smile. Now _that _would be something. The Principal would immediately wave it off as a joke and swiftly deliver detentions as punishment.

"This place is huge," stated Kairi as she walked down the grass and neared the lake. The sun was reflecting beautifully on the water's surface despite the fact that large, dark clouds were hanging in the sky. It was Katalin's favorite weather. The kind where even though the clouds were thick as hell, the sun shone beautifully with the mostly gray lighting. "And beautiful."

Shawn turned towards Katalin with an incredulous expression. "Where the hell do you think the keyhole is?" She didn't answer verbally but pointed her index finger at an island in the very center of the lake.

A smile was slowly appearing on Darcie's lips as she nodded. "That makes perfect sense. But... how are we going to get there?"

"We need a boat," answered Sora smartly. "Do we have to rent one?"

Katalin sighed, "Yeah, just let me pull out my invisible twenty dollar bill. We could always..."

"Take one," finished Riku and Shawn with too much enthusiasm. "Let's," agreed Shawn with the grin that usually appeared when he was about to do something wrong.

**XxxxxX**

"I feel sort of bad," murmured Kairi unsurprisingly as Sora and Riku rowed the fairly large boat through the water. "We just took someone's boat."

Darcie waved her off. "Don't. They were around our age and had a bucket full of alcohol. Let this be their lesson for ditching school in order to drink illegally."

"We did something illegal last night," pointed out the princess. "We broke curfew."

"And we got caught by a police officer that was really an Organization XIII member. Shame on us," remarked Katalin with a barely surprised shiver. Marluxia was deadlier than he appeared and Zexion's lexicon was a force to be reckoned with.

For another five minutes, Riku and Sora rowed in silence until they hit the grassy short of the island. Sora helped Kairi out of the boat and the rest of them immediately summoned their Keyblades. "There's just something about uninhabited islands that I don't trust," stated Riku. For all of the times Katalin and Darcie had come to the lake, they had never once seen anyone touch down on the island. It was extremely odd.

Once the trees began to thicken, Shadows and Neoshadows started to appear. "Ah, so there's a reason no one comes here after all. Noted," muttered Katalin as she slashed at a nearby Shadow. "That keyhole really better be here."

"Judging by the amount of Heartless here, I would have to say that it's somewhere around," decided Sora as he slashed at a Neoshadow just as it disappeared. It jumped out of a dark portal behind him and jumped into the air in a way that made it look like it was break dancing.

Every step they took caused more Heartless to appear. As they got even deeper into the island, Darkballs began to appear, too. "Yep. We're definitely on the right track," said Riku as he slashed at a Darkball. Another one attacked him from behind in a very spazzy fashion.

By the time they arrived in the very center of the island some fifteen minutes later, they were all sweating buckets. At first, Katalin was concerned that there really was no keyhole until they came across a small hole in, what she assumed was, the exact center of the island. The hole was not empty; it was filled with water. "All in favor of not swimming down to seal that keyhole?" mumbled Darcie as she eyed the water with dislike.

"I," agreed Kairi and Katalin. As Darcie moved closer to the hole, Noir's Blossoms was tugged forward. A light shot out from the tip and broke into the water below.

"No jumping down into the treacherous, deep water grotto. Very nice," decided Shawn as Darcie held up her Keyblade and stared at it in wonder.

Sora allowed his Keyblade to disappear as he placed his hands behind his head. "I guess this means we better go back to the Radiant Garden and tell everyone what we've found out. Let's go."

"Alright, but Shawn's rowing instead of me this time," remarked Riku as everyone began to head back towards the boat. Shawn hanged back and continued to stare into the dark water with an entranced gaze.

Katalin doubled-back and scowled at the brunet. "Hey, are you coming or what?"

He quickly glanced back at her and nodded. "Yeah."

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**A/n: Not really exciting, but it was relatively fun, so I'm happy. :D Kinda short, too. xD That's alright, though, because the necessities are finished. Next chapter it's back to Radiant Garden. Please review. :3  
**


	7. You're Gonna Go Far, Kid

**Chapter Six:**

**You're Gonna Go Far, Kid**

**A/n: Sorry my updates have been slow. I've been busy with life/sick/lazy/occupied with my other story. I'll try to be better, I swearz it. I've actually finally started my FFX game, so I'm thinking I might make a world in here for it. We'll see. I'm not sure how long it will take to get to the first main part of the plot, but I'm pretty sure this chapter is ninety-six percent filler. xD'**

**Thank you for your reviews once again! :DD**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Kingdom Hearts.**

_'With a thousand lies and a good disguise._

_Hit 'em right between the eyes, hit 'em right between the eyes._

_When you walk away, nothing more to say,_

_See the lightning in your eyes, see 'em running for their lives.'_

**-"You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" by The Offspring**

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It was rather challenging for Darcie and Shawn not to be charmed by how beautiful the view outside of the Gummi ship was. Katalin had been too antsy the past two times she'd been on the ship, but she now realized that space was more beautiful than she had imagined.

More beautiful and more dangerous. Sure, there were no aliens to be concerned about, but there were Heartless and Nobody ships attacking them like there was no tomorrow. Riku was shooting at the enemy ships with an inhuman amount of speed. "This definitely proves that both Maleficent and the Organization are onto us."

"Yeah, there's even more ships than before," agreed Sora as he swerved the ship to the side in order to avoid a rather large Heartless ship. "Good thing the Radiant Garden's close."

Kairi, who was seated before the ship's statistic screen. "Hey, a new world's up here. Do you think we should go to it?" Sora, who really should have kept his eyes on where he was going, glanced over at the screen.

"Something... Grove? Wow, look at that darkness," he murmured with a small whistle. "No, no. We'll just leave it." **(A/n: Nothing important thar, just referencing to one of my other KH stories. x3) **

The ride to the Radiant Garden was too long for Katalin's tastes, so she allowed her mind to drift back to the brief conversation she'd had with Darcie and Kairi the previous night. She thought it was rather interesting that both she and Kairi picked to be deaf over blind while Darcie picked blind. Personally, Katalin preferred to hear her music and people's voices, but the darkness was...

Then again, it wasn't too much of a surprise. While she and Darcie had their similarities, they also had their differences. It was a good thing; having everything in common with someone else would make life boring. "I wonder why Zexion and Marluxia were so hellbent on getting us," thought Darcie aloud. Katalin jolted; she had just been thinking the same thing.

"Kairi's a Princess of Heart, so they probably want her for... Princess of Heart-related things?" answered Shawn with a half-question. "As for you two... They probably just find you two annoying; I can relate."

Noir's Blossoms knocked Shawn's hat across the cockpit. "Oh, sorry. That's an annoying habit of mine. You know, kicking your ass in every way possible."

Grinning, Katalin remarked, "Again, I am reminded of why I never bothered speaking with you. How could someone so annoying be able to wield a Keyblade?"

"I used to ask myself the same thing when I first saw Sora could," remarked Riku with a smirk as he annihilated a nearby enemy ship. Sora's blue eyes narrowed in anger, and Kairi knew he would have hit Riku had he not been steering.

Katalin called upon Beautiful Disaster and simply stared at it. It was a relatively attractive Keyblade, as was Darcie's, but... "Why do girls always have to have some sort of flower on their Keyblade?"

Everyone but Shawn laughed. Kairi summoned Radiant Destiny and nodded her agreement. "Yeah, the three of us are all equal in that department, aren't we?"

Shrugging a little, but still smiling, Sora remarked, "I'm sure not every female Keyblade wielder has a flower on their Keyblade. The three of you just happen to."

"I bet she would still be stuck with something girly... like a heart or a cloud or something," mumbled Katalin as Beautiful Disaster disappeared. As _Highwind _continued to move through space, a giant castle was growing larger and larger. It was... "The Radiant Garden," sighed Katalin.

From above, the world appeared to be beautiful but Katalin had not had the chance to notice too much. Then again, she had first been torn up about nearly dying and getting harassed by Heartless when she arrived. When she left, she was eager to just... go home. "Kairi, you should give us that tour you were talking about before," decided Katalin as Sora slowly began to land the ship.

Smiling, Kairi nodded. "After we see the King, I promise to show you guys around."

**XxxxxX**

When Sora, Kairi, Riku, and Katalin entered Merlin's house with Darcie and Shawn close behind, Leon stared. "Are you starting to pick up everyone you guys meet?" he asked with exasperation more than agitation.

"There's a reason they're here, Leon, I promise," replied Sora as he nodded his head back at Darcie and Shawn. They held out their hands and summoned their Keyblades. Shawn's was made of a complete black metal and had red dashes that looked like eyes covering it. Beautiful Disaster, Noir's Blossoms, and Shawn's Keyblade were all amazingly dark.

"More Keyblade wielders?" asked Aerith as she entered the living room from the kitchen.

As Sora opened his mouth to respond, Leon held up a hand. "Back into the kitchen. You may as well explain to everyone."

"Is King Mickey still here?" asked Kairi as Leon and Aerith led them into the kitchen. Donald and Goofy were sitting at the table with Yuffie and Cid.

Aerith nodded. "Yes, but he's at the Castle. I guess you'll have to go track him down after you explain what's happened."

Shawn leaned back in a chair so that it was standing on its back legs. "Take it away, ladies," he remarked before the chair flipped over all the way and he fell to the kitchen floor.

"I'm sorry, did karma just slap you in the face?" mumbled Darcie loud enough for Shawn, Kairi, and Katalin to hear her.

**XxxxxX**

"Darcie and Shawn should probably go meet the King," stated Riku after Kairi finished her explanation on what had occurred in Diamant de Plaines. "Sora, why don't you take them to the Castle?"

Katalin tilted her head to the side. "What are we," she gestured to herself and Kairi, "supposed to do?"

"I'll show you around the Radiant Garden," decided Kairi. "What are you going to do, Riku?"

Smirking, Riku answered, "Sleep. You try sleeping with Sora kicking and shoving you in his sleep." Realizing his choice of words, he corrected, "Well, maybe that wouldn't be the best idea for you, Kai."

"Yet," said Darcie with a grin. "Go ahead, Sora. Lead the way." As Sora, Shawn, and Darcie left for the Castle, Riku headed upstairs.

When Kairi and Katalin were left alone in the kitchen, they tried to decide where to go first. "It wouldn't be a bad idea to teach you some magic. Let's go to the Great Maw and practice there."

**XxxxxX**

The path to the Castle wasn't filled with exposed pipes and half-finished structures. In fact, it looked completely finished. Sora wasn't quite adjusted to not getting attacked by Heartless as they walked, but it was something that he could certainly get used to if he tried. "Ansem the Wise's study. I'm not surprised the King's there," remarked Sora as they entered the Postern.

As they reached the middle of the Postern, Dusks appeared around them. Kingdom Key, Noir's Blossoms, and Eye of Truth flashed into their respective wielder's hand. "Nobodies?" growled Sora before rushing at the closest Dusk.

"Sounds like the Organization is hot on our heels," mused Shawn before slashing at a nearby Dusk, which easily moved its body in an odd way in order to evade the attack. "These are kinda creepy."

"Like your mom," replied Darcie as she attacked a Dusk that was approaching her. Shawn threw her an agitated glance. "What? That was _payback_. Sora, if there are Nobodies out here and the King is inside the Castle by himself, then don't you think it's possible he's being attacked, too?"

Sora cursed. Shawn and Darcie stared at him in surprise. "Alright, ignore the Nobodies and follow me." He slashed only at the Dusks and Creepers that got in his way as he ran down the Postern's stairs and entered one of the lower corridors of the Castle. His orders were more easily said than done. A thick ring of Assassins surrounded Shawn and Darcie, cutting them off from Sora.

Darcie refused to stay behind while Sora, more likely than not, got in on all of the action. She climbed onto the wall of the postern and jumped down, gracefully landing on her feet and one arm. "I'll just be up here chilling with the Nobodies!" growled Shawn as he blocked an Assassin from slicing him with its razor sharp arm.

"Enjoy," mumbled Darcie as she entered the corridor with Noir's Blossom held at the ready.

**XxxxxX**

**-Unknown-**

"Those impudent fools!" hissed the witch as she slammed her fisted hand against the arm of her throne chair. A nervous-looking Pete held up his hands in surrender as he backed away from the crystal ball and pressed himself against the wall.

"Don't shoot the messenger!" he insisted for the second time since he had entered the room to deliver the news to her. "Good thing I was watching 'em, eh?"

If looks could kill, then her narrowed cat yellow eyes would have destroyed Pete from the inside out. "We may not be having this problem had you only done the job that I asked. Tell me, Pete, what _was _the job that I asked?"

Sweating buckets, Pete answered, "To grab the Princess of Heart?"

"Yes, Pete, to grab the Princess of Heart. What is her name, again?" prompted the witch as she stood and grabbed her staff.

"K-Kairi. The girl who's friends with the Keyblade brats!" cried Pete as the witch approached him with her staff. "Please, Maleficent..."

Smiling cruelly, Maleficent knocked him on the head with her staff. "I would not waste my power on you, fool. Besides, you are at least slightly useful, if only for your spying techniques." Her next muttered sentence sounded something like, "Although I have not a clue as to how someone as large as you could possibly be inconspicuous."

Maleficent turned away from Pete and stared into the large crystal. "The Organization's revival is... regrettable, and I am forced to wonder who would be foolish enough to revive them. However, they may prove useful."

Pete, relieved that he was not to be turned to ashes, stood beside her and also stared in the crystal. "Useful how?"

"From them, we may find out some useful answers. After all, there surely must be a reason as to why the Organization is interested in those other two Keyblade wielders..."

**XxxxxX**

The magic lesson that Kairi gave Katalin went by easily enough. By the end of it, Katalin had learned fire, thunder, blizzard, cure, gravity, and water. "I'm not very good with the others, but I'm sure Sora can teach you," assured Kairi. "Why don't I show you the rest of the Radiant Garden down here?" Katalin nodded and the two of them continued through the Great Maw together.

Although the section of the Great Maw where they had been standing was sparse, the rest of it was not. Growing on the tops of the cliffs were yellow and white lilies. The closer they got to the Dark Depths, the number in which they appeared increased. The Dark Depths was completely covered in the lilies. "I wonder who planted these," mumbled Katalin as she bent down in the center to examine them.

"This is where Cloud was last seen fighting Sephiroth," stated Kairi, "so maybe..."

"Aerith planted them," another female's voice answered. With Radiant Destiny and Beautiful Disaster in hand, Kairi and Katalin turned to face the new arrival. Smiling, the woman announced, "I come in peace." Her hands were raised.

The woman had long dark brown hair and brown eyes that almost appeared to be red. She was just about Katalin's height, take a few inches or so. "You're Tifa, right?" asked Kairi although Radiant Destiny did not disappear; after the encounter with Zexion, she was acting a bit more cautiously.

"I am, I promise," replied the woman with the same smile. "You're Kairi; Sora told me all about you. And you are... Katalin?" half-asked Tifa as she took a few steps closer to them.

Radiant Destiny and Beautiful Disaster finally disappeared. Zexion would have been unable to keep up a friendly front for too long. Katalin nodded in response to her question. "How did you know?"

"I just saw Aerith and the others," answered Tifa with a nod. "What are you two doing here?"

"Sight-seeing," replied Kairi with a smile. "Everyone else is busy."

Tifa snapped the end of her black fighting gloves. "I heard that you guys had quite the encounters with Organization XIII and the Heartless the other day. What do you say to some sparring?"

**XxxxxX**

Darcie could find no trace of Sora inside of the Castle, but she certainly found a lot of Heartless. Some Dusks still appeared, but there were mostly Assassins following her. She tried to ignore them for a while (considering that they were too slow to catch up to her as she ran through the corridors), but she began to beat on them once she became hopelessly lost. Grumbling quietly under her breath, Darcie found herself wondering why anyone would have such an elaborate plan to the corridors beneath the Castle.

Then, she recalled what Ansem the Wise had been researching. Most Kings did not have studies at the very bottom of their castles. "As amusing as it is to watch you struggle, I suppose that I will help you out." Darcie turned in the direction of the semi-familiar voice.

Smiling smugly with his pink eyebrows raised, Marluxia was surveying her with interest. "Darcie."

"How do you know my name?" demanded Darcie as she raised Noir's Blossoms. The Nobodies remained off to the side as Marluxia approached her. "Did you summon all of these Nobodies?"

Laughing softly, Marluxia remarked, "What a name, 'Nobodies'. Rather cruel, don't you think?"

"I think it's very appropriate," replied Darcie, swallowing nervously as Marluxia approached her some more. His weapon had yet to appear. "Answer my questions."

"Impatient, hm? Of course I know your name; the Superior is very interested in you, as am I." Darcie felt her cheeks burn as she blushed a little although she had not a clue as to what brought it on. "The Nobodies were a good idea, I thought, to get you alone. As it turns out, I was right."

**XxxxxX**

Tifa started on Kairi in the Dark Depths while Katalin sat off to the side and watched them with interest. As Kairi struck at Tifa with Radiant Destiny, the martial artist easily knocked it back with her foot and was able to get a kick in Kairi's stomach while the redhead was dazed with surprise. "You have to be ready for anything, Kairi," chided Tifa lightly as she held out a hand to help the younger girl up. "Are you alright?"

Kairi nodded and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. Smiling, Tifa remarked, "Well, we're making progress." As Tifa and Kairi went back to sparring, Katalin noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Among the ruins of the Heartless castle below, a hooded stranger was watching the three of them.

Katalin stood up and began to try to inconspicuously climb down the side of the cliff. Her form twitched in Tifa's peripheral vision, and she demanded, "What are you doing, Katalin?!" Surprised beyond belief by Tifa's shout, Katalin slipped and slid down the cliff the remainder of the way, but the figure in the black jacket did not leave. Instead, he/she began to approach her.

She quickly dusted herself off as she stood and called upon Beautiful Disaster. "Why are you watching us?" The figure did not respond but ran forward with a Falchion raised. Even with the hood mostly covering the figure's face in shadows, Katalin could see piercing sky blue eyes beneath.

"I suppose you turned out to be more able than I ever expected," the figure said at last as Beautiful Disaster blocked his attack and knocked his Falchion off.

**XxxxxX**

No matter how hard Riku tried, he couldn't fall asleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he was plagued by images of the Organization, Heartless, Nobodies, and... Maleficent. Cursing, he shot up into a sitting position and climbed out of bed. His heart was beating harder than it should have been.

Something was wrong, and he knew it.

Riku quickly exited the room and took the stairs two at a time. "What the hell is wrong with you?" shouted Cid as Riku wrenched open the front door and slammed it shut behind him.

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**A/n: That chapter was far more eventful than I planned! :3 I got pretty unimaginative when it came to Shawn's Keyblade. In fact, I may have gotten the idea from Ganondorf's horse in my Zelda crackfic. Dx' Nothing much else to say other than to please review. :3**


	8. Waiting and Fading and Floating Away

**Chapter Seven:**

Waiting and Fading and Floating Away

**A/n: The song for this chapter has continuously come on the radio all day (which I listen to a lot during the summer), so I decided to stick it in this chapter. Likewise, it is the song for a future pairing. Obviously it's a future pairing because there are no real pairings right now. x3 Baha. So, yes, Maleficent has confirmed that she indeed did not revive the Organization. Then, who did? o: Let's see!**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Kingdom Hearts.**

_'If I go anywhere that you want me to go,_

_How do I know you'll still follow?_

_Do you see yourself in a crowded room?_

_Do your fingers itch? Are you pistol-whipped?_

_Will you step in line or release the glitch?_

_Can you fall asleep with a panic switch?'_

**-"Panic Switch" by Silversun Pickups**

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"What are you interested in _me _for? You do realize, of course, that there's a Princess of Heart running around this world somewhere, right?" murmured Darcie as she backed against the wall with Noir still raised. She certainly did not _want _Marluxia to go after Kairi; she just wanted to know why he was more interested in her than in a Princess of Heart.

Marluxia said something under his breath, but it was too quiet to hear. His scythe appeared and he struck at her. Darcie quickly ducked and the blade got stuck in the wall. "Even for a Nobody, there's something intoxicating about your presence. I noticed it the other night," remarked Marluxia as he pulled his scythe out of the wall with some force.

Again, Darcie was reminded of how the creepier guys sought her out. Then again, Marluxia wasn't _so _creepy... aside from the fact that he had pink hair, was creepy in attitude and presence, and was a little more than frightening. Darcie decided that he topped the 'creepy dudes' list. "As honored as I am, I have a hard time believing you went through all of this trouble to get to _me_."

The Nobody shrugged. "Whether or not you choose to believe it is completely up to you." He swung his scythe again and sent a wave of petals Darcie's way. She was slammed against the opposite wall and burned somewhat by the magic. "But believe me when I say that I am not leaving here without you."

**XxxxxX**

The cloaked figure -- male, judging by his masculine shape -- had to be an Organization member. Rarely did anyone else wear the long black jackets. Aside from that, no one else could have possibly know anything about how "able" Katalin was. Tifa and Kairi gracefully slid down the cliff to join her soon after she first jumped down. Katalin lashed out at the mysterious man with Beautiful Disaster, but he jumped away. "Who are you?" demanded Kairi as she entered the fray with Radiant Destiny.

The man shot a blast of dark orbs from his hands at her, and she raised her Keyblade to block the attack. "An... Organization member?" murmured Tifa although she seemed less sure than she wanted to be.

"The only Organization member that can do _that _is Xemnas," stated Kairi as she stared at the man with narrowed eyes. "But he doesn't use a sword for a weapon."

Beneath the hood, the man's light blue eyes were narrowed. "It is not a _sword_, Princess. Perhaps it would be beneficial for you keyblade wielders to learn a thing or two about weapons other than your own? Then again, I highly doubt even you know much about the Keyblade," remarked the man contemptuously.

"You aren't with the Organization?" asked Katalin for confirmation more than anything. The way the man reacted with such true emotions, it was quite obvious that he was more than a Nobody.

"Oh, Kat. Perhaps you have not become as able as I expected," mumbled the cloaked man with something of disappointment. "A pity."

Tifa delivered a kick to the man's side that he had not expected and knocked him to the ground. "If you aren't with the Organization, then how do you know her name?" He picked himself back up and shook his head.

"That is a foolish question, Tifa. I have made sure that I know the names of those who... matter," answered the man before he swept Tifa's legs from beneath her with his own kick.

Beautiful Disaster and Radiant Destiny knocked him into the cliff's wall. "Then, what's yours?" asked Kairi.

"Dempsey," grunted the man as he staggered forward.

**XxxxxX**

When Sora burst into Ansem's Study some ten minutes later, the King was not inside, but the secret passageway to the lab was. The King was not inside the lab, either. Sora looked through the glass overlooking the Heartless factory below and found King Mickey pacing. Since he first entered the study, not a single Nobody had appeared, but...

King Mickey jumped a little when Sora appeared on the lower level of the lab and called out his name. "Sora, you're back. How was Des Plaines?" **(A/n: May as well make a note of this. 'Des Plaines' is just a shortened form of the world's true name, 'Diamant de Plaines'.) **

"We found two new Keyblade wielders. Kairi, Katalin, and one of the new wielders, Darcie, were attacked first by Pete, then two Organization members. It was a very eventful trip," remarked Sora. "Nobodies are all over the Postern and the corridors, and I thought that they were..."

The King shook his head. "Nope, not a single Nobody has bothered me since I came in here. Isn't that funny, though? Keyblade wielders seem to come in threes," he murmured more to himself than to Sora.

"What do you mean?" asked Sora.

Smiling, King Mickey answered, "You, Riku, Kairi. Katalin, Darcie, and the other new wielder. Ven, Terra, and Aqua." Before Sora had the chance to ask, he added, "Ven, Terra, and Aqua were... great Keyblade wielders." His tone suggested that he would say no more on the subject. "Where are these two new keyblade wielders anyway? And what about the Organization members?"

"...Outside," mumbled Sora as realization dawned on him. "If the Nobodies weren't after you, and Darcie's already had a run in with two enemies, then..."

**XxxxxX**

Darcie tried not to be put off by the situation with Marluxia, but it was proving rather impossible not to. For one, Nobodies certainly were not supposed to feel, and yet... Marluxia seemed to be proving just the opposite. Unless he was playing with her head. That would not surprise her at all. "You're smarter than this, and I know it. The fact that you supposedly have no clue about what I'm saying just proves that you're not using your head."

"I really don't have a clue as to what the fuck you're saying, and I have my doubts that you do, either. I guess we can both pretend otherwise?" suggested Darcie before she feigned to the left and struck at Marluxia's right.

His scythe blocked the blow at the last second. "If you don't open your eyes, then you will never realize your true potential. A pity." Darcie was beginning to grow impatient with Marluxia dancing around whatever it was he expected her to know.

"I'm starting to wish that you would shut the hell up," she mumbled as she took Noir's Blossoms off of Marluxia's scythe and slashed below it. Vines that she couldn't remember being present before wrapped up her legs and her waist, holding her immobile.

**XxxxxX**

Having no idea where Kairi and Katalin currently were, Riku headed in the direction of the castle in hopes that whatever was happening was happening there. From the time he entered through the Bailey on, he was attacked by mostly Dusks and Assassins. When he finally got to the Postern and paused to catch his breath, he noticed Shawn trying (and failing) to fight the Assassins off. "Shawn, what the hell are you doing?"

Shawn glanced back at Riku, who was slightly doubled over, and shrugged. "You know, just hanging out with the Nobodies since Darcie and Sora left me behind."

"Try not to whine too much; it's not that attractive," murmured Riku before he drew back to his full height and began to attack the hell out of the Nobodies surrounding Shawn. When they were gone, he asked, "Where did they go?"

"Castle," answered Shawn without any appreciation for Riku's help. "Sora thought that the King was being attacked by the Nobodies."

Raising an eyebrow, Riku added, "How long ago did they leave?"

Another shrug from Shawn, "Ten or more minutes ago."

"And you... were too busy with the Nobodies to make sure they're okay? It doesn't matter; let's go."

**XxxxxX**

"Dempsey. What a perfect name for you," mused Tifa as she stood between Kairi and Katalin, awaiting for the man to get up. "If you aren't with the Organization, then who _exactly _are you?"

Chuckling and shaking his head, Dempsey pulled himself away from the wall and approached the three of them. "Do you really want to know? _Really_?"

"If we didn't, then would we be asking?" argued Kairi as she attempted to brandish Radiant Destiny in a threatening way. Needless to say, it was rather difficult for someone who had brightly colored flowers on their keyblade.

"So very impatient. Alright, then," murmured Dempsey before disappearing in a flash of black. He reappeared behind Katalin with his Falchion at the back of her neck. "I am the one who has caused you all further grief than you would have expected."

Swallowing hard, Katalin whispered, "You revived the Organization?"

"I revived the Organization," agreed Dempsey as he removed his weapon from Katalin's neck and took a few steps. "And I am quite sure that we will meet again soon. In the meantime, enjoy." A large ring of Dusks surrounded them as Dempsey disappeared into a portal.

**XxxxxX**

Noir's Blossoms disappeared from Darcie's hand as the vines restrained her completely and hindered any and all use of her keyblade, arms, and legs. "Let me just say that there is a reason as to why you and your friends can wield keyblades," remarked Marluxia as he used the blunt end of his scythe's blade to prop up Darcie's chin. "I wonder if you could even begin to guess those reasons."

"I wonder if you could be any more of a pedophile," came Riku's retort as he jumped and brought Way to Dawn down onto Marluxia's shoulder. Marluxia fell to the ground and the vines faded away. "What the hell are you so interested in her for?"

Marluxia knocked Riku across the corridor with his scythe before slowly approaching the boy. "Even _you _can't sense it? These keyblades certainly seem to pick winners, don't they?"

"Marluxia!" spat King Mickey as he and Sora turned a corner and also arrived in the corridor. Darkside **(A/n: That's Mickey's keyblade fyi) **and Kingdom Key shot beams of light at Marluxia, forcing him to turn towards them with an irritated expression.

"King Mickey, what an _honor _it is," murmured the pink-haired Nobody as he walked towards them. "And, Sora... how very nice to see you again." A cruel smirk slowly appeared on Marluxia's face.

Sora hated not remembering meeting the very unforgettable Nobody. The way the Nobody was staring at him made him wonder what exactly had gone on between them. "Did you send the Nobodies here?"

Chuckling, Marluxia responded, "Who else? Yes, you Keyblade wielders are very undeserving of your weapons. Except for a select few," he added with a glance towards Darcie -- and Shawn. "Until next time." A portal appeared behind him, and Marluxia disappeared before either Riku or Sora could get at him.

"This is getting a little weird," admitted Darcie as everyone's keyblades disappeared and they fixed each other with stares.

**XxxxxX**

What Katalin, Kairi, and Tifa could not defeat of the Dusks was taken care of by a giant shuriken and particularly large sword as Yuffie and a blond man appeared. "Cloud, Yuffie, thanks," panted Tifa once all of the Dusks had disappeared. Kairi cast a curaga spell on herself, Katalin, and Tifa.

Cloud leaned his buster sword against the cliff while Yuffie grabbed hers from where it had touched down in the ground. "Riku left the house in a huge hurry for the castle, so I thought we should come check up on you," remarked Yuffie to Tifa with a grin. "Good thing we did!"

Smiling, Tifa nodded. "Thank you. Cloud, this is Katalin and Kairi. They're friends of Sora's." Cloud nodded at them in greeting.

"Who was that?" he asked no one in particular as leaned against the wall, beside his weapon.

"A man named Dempsey. He said that he revived Organization XIII," answered Kairi as she glanced at the spot where the man had disappeared. She was having a hard time believing the mysterious man was who he said he was, and she wasn't the only one. "What's happening at the Castle?"

Yuffie shook her head. "Riku didn't say. All he said was that he had a 'feeling'." Katalin and Kairi exchanged a communicative glance.

"We should go see what's going on," concluded Katalin as she and Kairi started for the cliff's wall. "Why do I feel like it won't be as easy to get up as it was to get down?"

Shaking his head, Cloud grabbed his sword. "We better go with you."

**XxxxxX**

"Nothing Marluxia said makes any sense. Surprise, surprise," sighed Riku in Ansem's Study some time after said Nobody had disappeared. "What are we going to do?"

"Welp, we need to find out more information about the Organization, so ya should probably go visit different worlds," concluded Mickey as he entered the passageway to the secret lab. "Let's go see which ones need the most help."

Sora, Shawn, Riku, and Darcie followed the King into the lab and watched as he typed a few things on the keyboard to get a map of the worlds to appear on the screen. "There's a lotta worlds. Destiny Islands should probably be sealed..."

"There's a lot of new worlds," remarked Sora as he glanced at the screen. "The French Quarter, Spira..."

"We should probably split up," concluded Riku as he also overlooked the amount of worlds that needed help. "But is it a little early to send Katalin, Darcie, and Shawn off together?"

King Mickey turned in order to face the teenagers. "Why dontcha send Kairi with Darcie and Katalin and take Shawn with you fellas?"

Sora and Riku both groaned. "Because Kairi is actually good company," muttered Sora, earning himself a glare from Shawn.

* * *

**A/n: So the whole 'hey, Keyblade wielders come in threes!' just dawned on me in this chapter. I definitely did not mean for it to happen with Kat, Shawn, and Darc. Ha. This chapter was a bit on the shorter side. Sorry. Dx' I have tons of ideas for this story and my other one, though, so don't worry. I don't actually know how long this story will be. It'll be a sorpresa! Please review. :33**


	9. I'm Not Alone

**Chapter 8:**

I'm Not Alone

**A/n: Marluxia... is kind of a pedo. But didn't we already learn that in CoM? Anyway, I'm really excited to do a chapter with Spira... but it's going to have to wait. Ah well. It'll be well worth it! I think... Dempsey is my last OC, by the by. No flames, please. :3 If you don't like the story, then don't review/read :P Please enjoy!**

**The title... is a lyric from the song, yes, but it has some meaning to a few characters. That probably won't be realized until much later. **

**Disclaimer - I don't own Kingdom Hearts!**

_'Salt, sweat_

_Sugar on the asphalt._

_Our hearts littering the topsoil._

_Tune in and_

_We can get the last call._

_Our lives are cold,_

_Salt, sweat_

_Sugar on the asphalt.'_

**-"Bleed American" by Jimmy Eat World**

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"Geez, I wonder if we're ever going to get a break," murmured Katalin some time later as she walked through the Marketplace with Kairi and Darcie, who had just finished telling them about her encounter with Marluxia. "For a Nobody, he sure seems taken with you."

Darcie nodded although she didn't say anything aloud. There was something about the whole situation with Marluxia that made her feel extremely uncomfortable and thoughtful, but... she would keep the thoughts to herself. For now.

"Well, at least we have a fair share of munny from all of the Nobody beating we did," pointed out Kairi cheerfully. "We can buy some stuff now." Katalin and Darcie giggled. They had expected that maybe Shawn would be the perfect addition to make their duo into a terrible trio, but he was just annoying. Kairi, on the other hand... She was a lot like them, enjoying some feminine activities but being mostly a tomboy. Of course, Kairi was probably that way from being close friends with Riku and Sora.

"And we get at least a day of downtime," agreed Darcie with a small smile. "Where are we going tomorrow, Kairi?"

As they entered the Radiant Garden's strip mall, they were immediately greeted by cool air. It was a refreshing difference from outside. "Destiny Islands, my home," answered Kairi. "I remember where the keyhole is because I went to it the night the world was destroyed."

"You lost your heart, right?" asked Katalin as they gravitated towards the nearest shop. Kairi nodded.

Darcie thought of something else. "But you couldn't get a Heartless because you're a Princess of Heart, and your heart joined Sora's for safety. And when he released your heart, a Nobody was born, right? Naminé?"

Another nod from Kairi. "Naminé..." She recalled what Riku had told both her and Sora about what Naminé had done to Sora's memories in the Castle Oblivion. Naminé had been forced to, though. In the end, she had redeemed herself.

_'Are you... mad at me?' _A voice, so soft that Kairi had been sure she was imagining it, spoke in the back of her mind. Kairi jumped, earning strange looks from those around her.

_'Naminé?' _Kairi had had many a conversation with her Nobody in her mind, sure, but it had been so long that she had nearly forgotten about Naminé's existence. Something of guilt bubbled in her lower gut.

_'Kairi...' _The Nobody trailed off and Kairi was abruptly enveloped in a golden light. Darcie and Katalin took a few steps backwards as a fragile-looking girl with some platinum blond hair thrown over one shoulder appeared. She was wearing a sun dress and much resembled a porcelain doll. Except that she was transparent. Nearby shoppers took off in the opposite direction.

"Even in worlds that are aware of keyblades, Heartless, and Nobodies, there are still ways to cause scenes," murmured Darcie as she and Katalin approached the girl. "Naminé?"

The blonde nodded. "Darcie and Katalin," she nodded her head in greeting to the two new keyblade wielders. Kairi stood beside her Nobody with a curious expression on her face. "I've wanted to talk to you all, so I thought that I would come on out," remarked Naminé with an apologetic expression. "I guess I should have given you a warning."

Kairi bit her lip. "Shopping can wait until later. Why don't we go talk somewhere else?"

**XxxxxX**

When they arrived at Merlin's house with a transparent girl, Tifa, Cloud, and Cid were a little more than curious. Leon, however, seemed exasperated. "How many people are you planning on _bringing _here?" he demanded. **(A/n: That was comic relief. xD') **

"This is Naminé; she's my Nobody," stated Kairi with a small smile. "I promise she won't take up any extra space."

Naminé giggled despite herself. "No more than I previously did," she joked.

"Where are Sora, Riku, and Shawn?" asked Katalin curiously when she noticed that the boys were nowhere to be found.

Yuffie shrugged, obviously more interested in the transparent girl standing in the living room. "Sora and Riku went back to the Castle with Donald, Goofy, and the King. Shawn... went for a walk, I guess."

Having all eyes on her made Naminé more than a little nervous, but she went through with what she had been wanting to say. "There's something about the Organization's revival that makes me nervous. Aside from the fact that Marluxia and Larxene are roaming free again," she admitted. "It just seems that there should be a _reason _behind it. The Organization wouldn't be revived just because. There must be something new that whoever revived them knows and needs the extra help of the Organization."

"Dempsey," remembered Darcie. "Maybe Maleficent is looking for the same thing as him, and he wants the extra manpower to beat her to the punch?"

Naminé nodded. "That's what I was thinking, but I have to wonder _what_. Maybe Ansem the Wise knew more than he let on." She brought her light blue eyes up to Leon's hard ones, knowing that he was relatively computer savvy. "Could you...?"

Leon nodded before she finished her sentence. "Sure, I'll go check through Ansem's files." He agreed before exiting the house with Yuffie in tow.

"She really hangs onto him, doesn't she?" observed Katalin as they watched Yuffie and Leon disappear.

Tifa shrugged lightly. "A little, but it's more of a sibling thing, I think. Leon already has a girlfriend, but she lives in another world."

"Really?" asked Darcie with interest as she sat down on one of the nearby couches. "How did they meet?"

"In Traverse Town when the Radiant Garden was overpowered by darkness. I guess her world was destroyed, too. They still keep in touch. Pretty sweet," remarked Tifa with a small smile as she sat down on another couch.

Kairi, Katalin, and Naminé joined them. "What world are you from, Tifa?" wondered Kairi.

"Well, this is actually my home world," answered Tifa. "But Cloud, Yuffie, Aerith, Cid, and I were born in a world called Gaia. When the Radiant Garden was destroyed, I wound up in Gaia when the majority of them, excluding Cloud, appeared in Traverse Town." **(A/n: Quick note. According to Nomura, the Radiant Garden is Cloud's homeworld... Tifa's hasn't been confirmed, so I'm just making stuff up. :3) **

"That's odd. I was born in a different city in Des Plaines, but I've never actually _left _that world... until now," said Katalin.

Kairi shook her head. "I was born in the Radiant Garden, but I was sent to Destiny Islands. It just... happens, sometimes."

Beside Kairi, Naminé's body was faded in and out of existence quite noticeably. Smiling wryly, she observed, "I should probably return to Kairi." Nodding, Kairi stood up and gently grasped her Nobody's hand.

"If only there was a way to make you solid," murmured Darcie. **(A/n: Definitely not foreshadowing.) **As Kairi, whole again, resettled back onto the couch, Darcie added, "What should we do now?"

Grinning, Tifa remarked, "You're in the Radiant Garden. Why not try some sea salt ice cream?" Katalin and Darcie exchanged concerned glances while Kairi smiled and nodded her agreement.

"There's nothing like sea salt ice cream to make all of your worries go away. Let's go."

**XxxxxX**

"Naminé was thinking along the same lines as us? Can't say I'm surprised," remarked Riku with a faint smile some time later when Leon and Yuffie had joined them in the computer lab. Sora remained suspiciously quiet.

_'You want to meet her,' _guessed a voice that was not his own in the back of his mind. Roxas usually added thoughtful or witty comments when Sora was thinking about absolutely everything. His favorite seemed to be bothering Sora to make a move with Kairi.

Sora did not jump at the sound of his Nobody's voice. The occurrence was more common for him than it was for Kairi. Then again, Naminé was more of the shy type while Roxas was more of the in-your-face kind of person. _'Of course I do. I met her once and...' _

_'Not under the best circumstances,' _came Roxas' reply. When Roxas looked through Sora's eyes, he could see Kairi, sure. Usually he saw Naminé first. Naminé who had helped him out and watched over him. He felt defensive towards his Somebody when it came to Naminé, and he knew it had to do with the fact that, technically, Sora had met her first.

"What exactly are we looking for?" asked Sora as he turned his attention away from his Nobody and to the computer screen.

Leon clicked a few buttons and cursed. "Access denied. Of _course_," he murmured.

"What can I help you with, Leon?" the all-too-familiar voice of Tron asked. Sora smiled at the voice; it had been a while since he had heard it. Tron did not visibly appear on the screen so, Sora guessed, the MCP could not see them either. Despite this, Tron added, "How are you doing, Sora?"

Grinning, Sora replied, "Great, Tron. It's nice to hear your voice again."

Riku shook his head and glanced at the ceiling. "Only my best friend can make friends with absolutely everything and everyone." Sora, Yuffie, Donald, Goofy, and even Leon managed chuckles in response.

"Tron I'm looking for... Well, I'm not sure exactly," admitted Leon. "Another secret file of Ansem's, maybe?"

The MCP did not respond for a good few minutes. "Alright, I'll see what I can do."

**XxxxxX**

"That one Organization member seems to sure like that keyblade brat," remarked Pete in Maleficent's dark meeting room.

The witch cackled in response. "Oh, yes. Yes he does. I have my ideas as to why."

Pete fixed her with a confused stare, not that he did not always wear the same expression. "What're you thinkin', Maleficent?"

Maleficent shook her head. "Oh, you fool. You cannot be trusted with such _valuable _information. Now, I want you to go visit a few worlds. See if you can't gather up whoever is left of the old group and recruit some new people."

The dog-man paused at the doors. "Maleficent, do you think we should be worried? Not about the keyblade brats; the Organization reviver."

"Ah, yes, _him_. I will have to pay him a personal visit if I can track him down. Where does one keep an organization of people if not in a castle such as this?" asked Maleficent as she gestured to the room around her with a short laugh. "Yes, he certainly must realize what a fool he is by now, having recruited the wrong people. But we both have the same goal. It is just a matter of who gets there first. Now, leave my presence. I have things to attend to."

Pete exited the room in the same fashion as he always did: more confused than when he had first entered. Maleficent walked towards a wooden perch in the room and a small raven with piercing eyes hopped onto her arm. "My sweet, I need you to watch him. You know which him I am speaking of, I trust?" Diablo uttered a great caw before taking off of her arm and flying through a hole in a higher part of the wall.

**XxxxxX**

"I found it!" remarked Tron some time later. Sora and Riku had sat down in the back of the room, far away from the portal to the virtual world, and King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy were checking out some books in the study. Leon had not moved far from the computer, so he immediately strode back to the keyboard. A file was pulled up on the screen. "One last secret file, Leon."

"Thanks, Tron," murmured Leon before dipping his head forward to get a better look. "Well, well, well. Look at that."

Sora and Riku immediately stood back up and came to stand beside the gunblade wielder. "Are you... kidding me?" murmured Riku with a groan as he read the words of the new report. "_More_?"

* * *

**A/n: The words of the report, which you will not know of until the next chapter. x3 I had... a really tough time focusing on this chapter. Dx I have everything big planned out for this story, so I'm not sure when it will end exactly. It will be a great surprise. So, please review. Until next chapturrr. **


	10. Win Dain a Lotica

**Chapter Nine:**

Win Dain a Lotica (In the Darkness)

**A/n: I am quite surprised at the following that this fanfiction has. xD' Thank you to my reviewers, first and foremost. I would not be able to write this without you guys. And thank you to my readers/favoriters/alerters. :D I was listening to a really sweet song during the majority of this chapter which is funny because of what's in it. **

**Disclaimer - I don't own Kingdom Hearts**

_'Lalala... _

_Fontina Blu Cent (Your wishes can)_

_De cravi esca letisimo (bring forth a destructive force)_

_Lalala... _

_De quantian (or you can)_

_La finde reve (bring salvation)'_

**-"Sora" by Yoko Kanno/Hitomi**

**

* * *

  
**

After printing out another one of Ansem the Wise's secret reports, Leon and the others returned to Merlin's house to share their findings. "There are really seven Princesses of Heart," Leon paused for good effect, "or so we thought. There are four additional girls, as it turns out. Three of them aren't like the rest. They represent the three realms: light, darkness, and nothingness."

From her spot on the couch between Darcie and Kairi, Katalin asked, "Do you have any idea of who they are?"

Leon shook his head. "Except for the one. We think Naminé is a Princess of Heart from the nothingness realm."

"Being a Nobody and all of a Princess of Heart. Makes sense," agreed Darcie. "The others could be... almost anyone."

"Princess Ariel?" suggested Kairi as she idly toyed with a piece of her hair.

Sora shook his head. "Doubtful. Someone would've noticed it sooner. Besides, you could say she's at least kind of corrupt. Not that Kairi acts like a princess of complete light, anyway..." He earned himself a dirty look from said girl.

Otherwise, no one disagreed. "There's too many possibilities," argued Riku. "We'll have to figure it out as we visit each world."

"Sally!" Kairi shouted abruptly, obviously not listening to a word anyone had said. **(A/n: There's your comic relief. :D) **

Again, Sora shook his head. "No heart."

"But Naminé...!" began Kairi, but she was cut off by another voice.

"Don't forget that you have other pressing matters, too," said Tifa.

The others nodded. "Dempsey," remarked Leon.

"And Marluxia, let's not forget about Marluxia," murmured Darcie. She dropped her head onto her best friend's shoulder and Katalin dropped her head on top of hers.

King Mickey, who was sitting at a table off to the side with Donald and Goofy stated, "We'll just have to watch out for him, fellas. And keep a better eye on Darcie."

Darcie scowled. "I'm not a baby; I don't need to be watched."

Riku shrugged lightly. "No one ever said you were a baby, but... do you _want _to be cornered by Marluxia again? Don't forget that his idea of a good time is inflicting pain on others." Darcie hated to admit that he was right, so she did no such thing.

"Does this mean that people are going to follow me everywhere I go? Am I going to have a Secret Service like the President?" demanded Darcie but only Katalin understood what she was saying.

Leon smiled faintly. "Every world's different. We had a king, Destiny Islands has a mayor, and Des Plaines has a... President?"

Katalin nodded. "Speaking of Destiny Islands, that's where we're going tomorrow, right?"

"Maybe Selphie is a Princess of Light," suggested Kairi, obviously off in her own world again. Leon chuckled and shook his head, muttering something that sounded like, "That's doubtful." Kairi blinked. "How do _you _know Selphie?"

The gunblade wielder waved it off. "Forget what I said. Yes, Katalin, you six are going to Destiny Islands tomorrow, so you should probably go to bed." **(A/n: /lame FF8 reference.) **

"Go to bed? _Now_?" asked Darcie. "It's not even that late. Besides, what about dinner?"Leon's smile became slightly more pronounced. "_I _can't cook." Everyone's eyes moved over to Tifa, who sighed with defeat.

"Will you three help me?" she asked Katalin, Kairi, and Darcie.

Kairi nodded immediately while Katalin, with a glance at Riku, said, "I thought that it's a common misconception that men can't cook?"

Riku grinned. "It is, but I don't think we're in the cooking mood right now."

**XxxxxX**

As Tifa boiled some water for spaghetti, the girls hung around the kitchen and talked. Aerith and Yuffie also joined them despite the fact that Yuffie was, as Leon said, "a terrible cook." Every time Katalin looked at Kairi, she thought of Naminé, and, the longer they stood in the kitchen, she thought back to her dream.

The blonde girl that had been standing on the pillar, surrounded by Dusks had been _Naminé_. Katalin opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. The dream probably meant nothing.

**XxxxxX**

"_Why _did you tell them who you are and what you've done?" demanded a fairly tan man with silver hair that spiked in a fairly odd fashion. His orange eyes were narrowed at Dempsey in agitation.

Dempsey shook his head as he paced around the large room that served as their meeting room. "It does not matter, fool. They have no clue who I am."

"But they might in time," mused Zexion as he always did, in a bored fashion.

Disregarding Zexion, the silver-haired man asked, "What is it you want us to do for you, exactly?"

"Keep that one away from the keyblade wielders for the time being," answered Dempsey with a nod in Marluxia's direction. Said Nobody scowled but said nothing. "We must also go up against that fool, Maleficent."

"Nobodies are stronger than Heartless. Aside from that, the Heartless will follow us if we ask them to," remarked a blue-haired man with amber eyes. All who sat at the table knew that he spoke from experience.

Dempsey shrugged. "That may be, but you doubt Maleficent's abilities. She can, after all, raise the dead."

"And so can you," yawned a bored redhead. He was tossing a red chakram up and down. A purple lance rose from beside a man with long black dreadlocks and pierced the chakram to the wall behind the redhead.

"You are skating on thin ice, Number VIII," warned the silver-haired man. His eyes trailed over to Marluxia and a blonde woman. "You two as well."

**XxxxxX**

When there was a knock at Katalin's door later that night, she immediately hoped that it would be Darcie. For the majority of her life, Katalin had gotten in the habit of dressing down for bedtime, and Darcie (and her family) was the only person who really knew this. She crossed the threshold of her room and opened the door.

To find Shawn.

He blinked at her pajamas and grinned the very knowing smile that he had cast her over five times in the past twenty-four hours that they had been thrown together. "Can I help you, Shawn?"

Shawn shook his head. "I just... wanted to talk, I guess."

Katalin tried not to look as surprised as she felt. When they'd had class together, Shawn had not been the talking type; he had been the push/shove/punch type. When it came to speaking, he usually reserved his words to, "noob" and cussing. Nonetheless, Katalin allowed him to come in although she left the door open. He sat down on the bench sitting at the end of her bed while she collapsed onto the fluffy bed. "What do you want to talk about?"

He shrugged. "School? Life?"

"Let's see, life. Well, I am now currently missing two very important father figures in my life. One being my father and the other being my uncle. As for school, I kind of missed our three days of finals. Then again, I'm sure it won't matter because I'll get let off once the officials realize that I was on 'official keyblade-wielding business'." She stopped her sarcasm when she realized that Shawn did not look very happy. "We'll figure it out when we get there, Shawn. Now, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"This is odd, alright," snapped Shawn somewhat. "I'm not used to being with people that aren't like Carson and the others..."

Katalin raised her eyebrows. "You mean, you're not used to having to hold intelligent conversations. Or conversations in general that do not center around female body parts?"

Shawn managed a chuckle. "Well, when you put it like that, you make me sound like a..."

"Douche. Mmhm," agreed Katalin with a small smile. "You'll adjust, I promise." She blinked, wondering _why _she was promising him anything. "Kairi, Sora, and Riku are great. And so is Darcie."

"Darcie hates me," murmured Shawn.

Katalin nodded. "Because you're a jackass," she pointed out.

He opened his mouth to protest, then closed it. "Yeah, alright. Maybe just a little."

"So... is that where you were all day? You were thinking about how much you missed Des Plaines?" asked Katalin as she tilted her head to the side. Shawn shrugged somewhat, and she took it as a yes.

Eye of Truth abruptly flashed in Shawn's hand, causing Katalin to jump. "All of our keyblades are dark," remarked Shawn as he examined his. Katalin stood up and joined him at the bench with Beautiful Disaster in her hand. "I wonder why."

"Maybe we're like that Jewel's Grove and our world is full of darkness," suggested Katalin although she was mostly joking. Shawn seriously seemed to consider the fact as he stared at his keyblade. "I'm sure it's nothing, Shawn. I mean, King Mickey's keyblade is from the dark realm. If that's the case, I highly doubt we have anything to worry about."

Shawn nodded, obviously pleased at hearing the particular piece of information. "Maybe. Anyway, I'll let you go to bed. See ya." Eye of Truth disappeared from his hand and he stood up and headed for the door.

"Shawn," called Katalin with Beautiful Disaster still in her hand. He glanced back at her. "Maybe if you acted like this, showed that you're human, the others would warm up to you. I had an idea that you were like this by seeing you sometimes act like it in class, but... they have no clue." With a meek shrug, she added, "just a thought."

"'Night, Kat," said Shawn before closing the door behind him. For the second time that day, Katalin did not bother to tell him he had not yet earned the right to use her nickname. But maybe he had.

**XxxxxX**

An ivy wall was growing outside of Darcie's window. She had noticed it before when she first entered the room and poked her head out the window. It was late for most people, past ten, and she was still in her jeans and a t-shirt. Darcie stood up from her bed and decided that she needed some fresh air. She climbed out of her window with ease and climbed down the wall of ivy. When she touched down in the alleyway, she noticed a fresh pink rose sitting on the ground.

With her eyebrows furrowed, Darcie bent down to pick it up and pricked her finger deeply. Blood much darker than the petals of the rose ran down her skin, but she simply shrugged and walked off. No one noticed her leaving so, once she was well out of range of the house, she ran the rest of the way to, of all places, the Marketplace.

The Marketplace was quiet and beautiful with the full moon shining down on it. Not even the Moogles were hanging outside. Darcie descended the steps, walked through the center, and ascended the steps up to the highest point in the Marketplace. Had she wanted to, she could have climbed the roof of a nearby shop. She did not feel like it and instead stared over the wall and down into the waterfall which pooled way below.

"You accepted my invitation?" asked an all-too-familiar voice from behind her. Darcie turned on her heel and found herself face to face with Marluxia. "Darcie, we really have to stop meeting this way."

Noir's Blossoms instantly flashed into her hand. "I don't _want _to meet with you at all," remarked Darcie.

Marluxia chuckled. "Then, why would you take my rose?" Darcie glanced down at her left hand and noticed, sure enough, that she was still holding the pink rose. Granted, she had not known that it was from Marluxia although... she could have expected as much. The petals were just a bit darker than his hair color.

"Nobodies don't feel, Marluxia, so I know that you're not in love with me or lust with me for that matter. What do you want?" demanded Darcie point-blank as she dropped the rose to the ground.

His eyebrows shot up his forehead. "Ah, so are you telling me what I do and do not do?" asked Marluxia softly but not dangerously. "You're right; certainly I am not in love with you. The lust, perhaps..."

Darcie shook her head. "It's not possible without emotions. Lusting is an _emotion_."

"It is quite humorous that those who are not Nobodies think that they can _understand _Nobodies. There are exceptions to the rules, are there not? You've met Naminé," added Marluxia with acid in his voice. "Even Axel. Why can I not be the same?""Because, you were evil in Castle Oblivion and still are," answered Darcie.

Marluxia smiled emotionlessly. "Then, what would you call what Axel did?"

"Axel..." Darcie trailed off. "Axel did what he did in order to get rid of Organization XIII's traitors. He also did what he did to protect Roxas." She recalled what Riku had told them about Vexen trying to tell Sora about his other half. "He did what I would do for Katalin."

The smile turned more humorous. "You would kill for Katalin?"

Darcie chewed on the inside of her lip. "If I were in Axel's place, then sure, I guess I would."

"But you are not sure," noticed Marluxia. "It's adorable how valiant you try to be, but I know what you really are."

And they were back to the mind games, the dancing around the bush. Darcie grit her teeth in anger. "Then, say it!"

"Marluxia, stop harassing the minor," a voice ordered from off to the side. Another portal appeared and out stepped a man whose red hair seemed to spike in every direction. It was certainly hair to rival Sora's.

Marluxia's bright blue eyes narrowed into a look of hatred. "Axel, what are you doing here?" So that was Axel, thought Darcie with a small smile, Roxas' best friend.

"Believe it or not, the Superior wanted me to make sure that you aren't making plans to betray the Organization again. He sent _me _to make sure," laughed Axel as he shook his head.

"Yes, why indeed would he send a traitor to check on another traitor?" wondered Marluxia aloud. The auras the two Nobodies were giving off were extremely violent and quite frightening. Darcie wondered if she shouldn't leave while she had the chance.

Axel put his index finger to his head in a thoughtful position. "One of us being a traitor for good, valiant reasons while the other is a traitor for selfish, greedy reasons. Very amusing," decided Axel as he placed his arms behind his head and took a few steps towards Marluxia and Darcie.

Marluxia raised his chin. "I had good reasons too, Axel. Or have you forgotten how the majority of the Organization thinks? Let us look at Vexen, for example. He harassed Lexaeus, if I remember correctly, when Lexaeus is one number lower than him."

"Not to mention bigger," added Axel with a grin, despite himself. "That's not my point, Marluxia. Now, scram before I report back to the Superior and tell him that you've been making out with the enemy."

The Graceful Assassin regarded Axel cooly but nodded. He glanced at Darcie, picked up the rose, and thrusted it into her left hand. "Until next time, Darcie," murmured Marluxia before disappearing into his own portal.

"You okay, kid?" asked Axel in a softer voice once Marluxia was gone. Darcie's eyebrows knitted together from the sudden change in demeanor.

"I'm... confused," confessed Darcie. "What are you doing exactly, Axel?"

Axel grinned. "The Organization has plans that directly involve my friends, so of course I'm going to be checking around to make sure they're okay."

"But you don't even know who I am," protested Darcie.

He shrugged lightly. "Does it matter? You're a friend of a good friend. Besides that, you're... connected in an extremely strong way," the last part was a murmur and Darcie was not sure if she heard him correctly. "Just tell Sora and Kairi to keep their faith in me, alright? I have to play the part if I want to keep working on the inside. See ya." As Axel disappeared in a portal, Darcie found herself more confused than she had been before taking the walk to the Marketplace in order to clear her mind.

**XxxxxX**

As it had been a few days earlier, Katalin was awaken at an hour that she had no idea existed outside of the school year. Kairi, at least, was the one who had been sent to wake her up. "What time is it?" asked Katalin groggily.

Kairi, looking just as tired as Katalin, smiled wryly. "You don't want to know. I figured that I should make breakfast for everyone, but I need some help. Want to help?"

The last thing Katalin wanted to do was make breakfast early in the morning. "Did you already try Darcie?"

"No, her door was locked. I guess she took a walk late last night," remarked Kairi offhandedly. "Help me. Please?"

Katalin was a sucker for big eyes, but she had assumed that it only extended to Darcie's big brown ones. Apparently, Kairi's light indigo ones also did the trick. "Okay, okay. Is everyone else sleeping?"

"Yep. Even Aerith." Once they were in the kitchen, and Kairi was grabbing eggs out of the refrigerator, Katalin decided to bring up her dream.

"I had a weird dream last night," she confessed as Kairi also grabbed a stick of butter. Kairi nodded to show that she was listening. "And the night before that. And the one before that... I've been having a lot of weird dreams lately. Last night, I saw myself and Darcie wearing these really epic and pretty dresses and Naminé was standing with us. We were all back to back, surrounded by Heartless and Nobodies. The night before last, I had a dream about Naminé. Before that, well... I can't even describe that one."

Kairi threw a chunk of butter into a skillet as she turned on the fire for the stove. "Mm. Maybe you just had a dream about Naminé last night because you just met her? It also explains the Nobodies and the Heartless. We've been going against a lot of those lately. I'm sure it doesn't mean a whole lot," replied Kairi although Katalin was not sure if she was telling the truth. Particularly since it did not explain the dream she had about Naminé the night before she ever met her. But she said no more on the subject. "Did you ever find out where Shawn went yesterday?"

Katalin nodded as she poured some oil on another skillet and turned on the heat. "Yeah. I guess he went for a walk to clear his thoughts. He said that he's not used to being people who aren't like him."

"You mean keyblade wielders?" asked Kairi with her eyebrows furrowed together out of confusion. She added some eggs and milk to the skillet and moved them around with a spatula. "Or people that don't spend the day insulting each other?"

Katalin managed a small laugh. "I don't think that last bit extends to Darcie and I, but, I guess so. He's probably just overwhelmed. Ouch," she added as a bit of bacon grease hit her arm.

Kairi nodded. "He'll come around," she agreed.

Fifteen minutes later, many pieces of bacon, quite a few scrambled eggs, and a lot of pancakes were sitting on the table. Riku entered the kitchen almost immediately after the food was finished and looked at them with surprise. "You two are up already?"

"Couldn't sleep," replied Kairi airily. "I figured I should make us some breakfast before we go to Destiny Islands."

Riku grinned. "I don't see why you bothered; I'm sure your mother will be telling us how skinny we are and forcing food down our throats."

Kairi giggled. "She just thinks that keyblade wielders should eat more if we're going on all of these adventures. Hey, I wonder if the King, Donald, and Goofy are still here?"

"Nah, they had to go check out some of the other worlds. After hearing about the new princesses, he figured that they should go check on the others," replied Riku. "In the meantime, we have two princesses to look after."

"Or so we think," replied Kairi with a grin. "But, don't worry, I'll take care of us both. I guess we should go wake up the others."

Katalin nodded. "I'll go take care of Darcie; I know how hard it can be to wake her up at ten, let alone at around six in the morning."

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**A/n: I decided to add a cooking scene because I've been thinking of Lesser's fanfiction. xD She writes kickass stories, so you ought to read those![ /shameless advertising.] I've noticed that whenever I add Axel to a scene where Marluxia or Larxene is, he always says something about leaving alone a minor. Huh. xD I was pretty tired when I wrote this, so there was no action. Next chapter will be much better, so please review?**


	11. Where I Stand

**Chapter Ten:**

Where I Stand

**A/n: FINALLY, we get to go to Destiny Islands. Geez. But not until after the first scene, of course. x3 Thank you for all of your reviews! I apologize for being so slow with the updates, but I wanted to finish my other KH story fic. Now, of course, I have another one, but this story has the most importance on my list of a million fics. xD Aside from that, we haven't had internet and I've been icky. DDx' Silly, irresponsible breadwinners. Onto the chapter!**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Kingdom Hearts**

_'Now the clouds are racing higher, _

_Blinding arrows away. _

_There's in darkness off the streets that my elec-tricity._

_Gold shatters the sky, this is the first day of the rest of our lives, _

_'Cause no one truly lives or dies._

**-"When Did This Storm Begin?" by Shiny Toy Guns**

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**

As Katalin had expected, Darcie was in a deep sleep when she opened the door. A pink rose with a few droplets of blood was laying on the floor, near Darcie's black converse. Aside from the shoes, Darcie was still clothed in what she had worn the previous day. Katalin's eyebrows knitted together as she approached her friend and gently shook her shoulder. "Darc?"

Darcie started, her eyes flew open, and she groaned, "Uh?"

"Have a rough night?" asked Katalin as she sat beside Darcie on the bed. Once Darcie realized that Katalin wasn't leaving, she slowly pushed herself up. Her eyes traveled to the rose, and she nodded. "Marluxia?" Another nod.

The events of the night came rushing back at Darcie. After Axel had left, she had tried to clear her mind, but, needless to say, it had not worked. About an hour after the whole encounter, Darcie had returned home and collapsed into bed without changing. "Axel. I met Axel."

The name did not click immediately in Katalin's head but, upon recalling what Riku had said about Roxas, she nodded. They were best friends. Or, at least, they had been. "Why would even the traitorous Organization members be revived?" wondered Katalin as she gazed out the window. Sunlight was beginning to pour in.

"Dempsey revived them, right? He probably doesn't care," groaned Darcie as she threw off her blankets and put her feet on the ground. "I'll get changed, meet you downstairs, then I'll tell everyone everything." Once Katalin retreated from the room and closed the door behind her, Darcie placed her head in her hands. The throbbing pain of her headache was pulsing in time with a song sitting in the back of her head, she noticed with smug amusement. When she finally pulled herself to her feet, she headed towards the closet and stared at a few of her pieces of clothing.

After some time, she settled on a purple tee, black skirt, and blue jeans. She took some extra time to straighten her unruly hair and apply eyeliner. Her eyes couldn't help but drop to the bloodied rose on her floor. When she was done getting ready, she picked it up, only to prick her finger and drop it again. "A rose with thorns. How original," she murmured to herself before exiting her room at last.

Everyone (minus Cloud and Tifa) was sitting downstairs with plates of food balanced on their laps. Although Darcie may have been up long enough to work up an appetite, the sight of the rose and memories of the previous night made her sick to her stomach. Without much thought, she wiped her bleeding finger on the side of her skirt as she joined the others. Aside from the deep bags beneath her eyes, Darcie looked one-hundred percent fresh, but Riku had made it his business for the past few years to sense if something was amiss. "Rough night?" he asked. Darcie was temporarily reminded that Katalin had asked her the same thing in her room.

Darcie collapsed on the loveseat beside Katalin and proceeded to tell everyone about what had happened to her the night before. Everyone remained quiet throughout her tale although Sora and Riku's facial expressions shifted to that of white hot anger every once in a while. When she finished, she stared at the others faces to see if they had a clue about what exactly Axel had been talking about. "Maybe we'll meet Axel at Destiny Islands," suggested Sora, "and he'll explain some more."

Kairi laughed quietly. "If it's on the main island, then it'll be like deja vu."

"Obviously Dempsey's keeping pretty close tabs on you guys," said Leon. "If Axel wants to see you, then he'll probably have no trouble in doing it."

Katalin shook her head. "If Dempsey knows where we're going next, then Axel _can't _show up. One, it'll make Dempsey suspicious. Two, Dempsey will probably send someone and it definitely won't be the best friend of Sora's Nobody."

"Or his Darcie-stalking nemesis," added Shawn with a wry smile, earning himself a weak punch in the arm from said keyblade wielder.

"Just be careful," pleaded Aerith as Sora, Kairi, Riku, Katalin, Darcie, and Shawn rose from their seats. "Especially you, Darcie." Darcie grinned.

"Don't worry about me, Aerith; I'll be fine."

"Yep," agreed Katalin as she attempted to swing her arm around her best friend's neck, "because we'll be keeping an extra close eye on you from now on."

Aerith stood up with her plate and took a few others before glancing over Cid's shoulder at the computer screen. Cid jumped at the sudden intrusion to his personal space but merely grunted. Aerith narrowed her eyes at the worlds. "I really feel like you guys should check out Jewel's Grove..."

Sora jumped up and approached Aerith, shaking his head vehemently. "_No_, Aerith. Do you _want _to be killed in a really bad fashion by impalation? _No_? Then, we should just leave it alone." Everyone simply stared at Sora as if he was crazy which, maybe, he was.

"Sora, that's a little specific, don't you think?" asked Riku with his eyebrows knitted together. Sora rounded on him.

"Riku, if you want to avoid a really messy love triangle, then we should just forget it and go to Destiny Islands. I just know some things, alright?" Without another word, Sora entered the kitchen for some more food. **(A/n: That was for Lesser, who gave me the idea. xD' My last reference to my other series.) **

**XxxxxX**

The tropical atmosphere of Destiny Islands affected the six keyblade wielders in different ways, but it affected them all in one way or another. For Darcie, she was reminded of quite a few family vacations to Hawaii as a child. Her time spent in Hawaii had been some of her favorite memories. To Kairi, Destiny Islands was _home_. She had once had a thought that maybe she would go back and live in Hollow Bastion, but she had been unable to do it. All of her friends and family, as far as she was concerned, lived on Destiny Islands, her home for many years. Had she been born there? No, but it felt right there. Katalin was reminded of more carefree days and nights walking the beaches of South Carolina with her cousin while making loud, inappropriate sexual innuendoes as her younger second cousin tailed them.

Returning to Destiny Islands, for Riku and Sora, was always a welcome relief even if they had not been gone for too long. Even if they weren't returning for long, it would be a nice break to be home. Katalin glanced at Shawn, thinking that maybe he was in deep thought, too. Instead, he blew his bangs out of his face and groaned. "How long is this going to take exactly?" Katalin could have smacked her forehead, but she settled for smacking Shawn instead.

Sora, Riku, and Kairi gazed across the water, at a nearby island. "Well, we did land on the main island, so we're going to have to take our boats to the play island," observed Riku. Sure enough, their three boats were still tied to the pier. Selphie, Wakka, and Tidus' were missing, however. "Huh. I was hoping we could steal their boats, but I guess we're just going to buddy up."

"I'll take Katalin," offered Kairi.

"I'll definitely take Darcie," remarked Sora quickly. Shawn and Riku stared each other down for a minute before Riku sighed in defeat.

"And... I guess I'll take Shawn."

"The way you're talking, you'd think that you're about to serve a death sentence," a voice observed from somewhere behind them. At first, the voice had no source, but then a portal appeared and Axel stepped out. "Kairi. Look familiar?" He was grinning.

Kairi smiled in spite of herself. "Sure does," she agreed.

"Axel, we knew that the Organization was revived, but seeing you is..." Sora trailed off, at a loss for words. Axel was still grinning when he put his index finger to his chin and tapped it.

"Is that you or Roxas talking to me?" he wondered. Sora shoved him lightly.

"Maybe it's both," another disembodied voice decided as Kairi's body was engulfed by a golden light. She jumped somewhat as Naminé stepped out of her body, throwing her Somebody an apologetic glance over her shoulder. "Axel, it's good to see you again."

The smile slipped off of Axel's face as he looked the blonde up and down. "Naminé, I wish I could say the same."

Katalin frowned. "That's not very nice, Axel." The words left her lips before she really knew what she was saying. Darcie and Shawn threw her relatively surprised glances.

"You're not as shy as Dempsey seems to think," observed Axel with a faint grin directed towards Katalin before turning back to Naminé. "It's not that I'm not happy to see you, Naminé. It's just that... the Organization's been talking."

"About me?" asked Naminé with genuine surprise. "Because they know, don't they?" Axel inclined his head somewhat.

"Dempsey, apparently, heard some things from Maleficent. No clue where she heard the things, though. They're pretty sure you're the Princess of Heart from the Nothingness realm."

Riku shrugged somewhat. "Maleficent's an old hag, but she's not stupid. It's very logical as to why Naminé could be the Princess, but we still don't know for sure."

"How do we figure it out?" inquired Shawn innocently although he still sounded bored.

Sora shook his head. "We probably have to find the other three princesses first. Then, maybe we have to get all of them together."

Shawn nodded lightly. Made enough sense to him, at least. "And can we trust you, Axel?"

Axel narrowed his jade eyes at the keyblade wielder. "I could ask you the same thing, couldn't I?" Shawn was, for the first time, to surprised to respond. Why Axel would talk to him that way, he couldn't be sure.

Darcie scowled somewhat. Sure, Shawn was on the immature side, and he could be a jerk, too, but... he had given them no reason not to trust them. "Dude, what kind of accusation is that?"

Again, Axel's features softened. "I just meant that he doesn't know anything about me, so he doesn't think he can trust me. It's the same for me; I don't know a damn thing about him."

"But you do about Darc and I?" asked Katalin.

Axel shrugged somewhat. "Dempsey seems to know a little. Besides, the two of you are chicks. The only girl I don't trust is Larxene." He added something that sounded a lot like, "And she's nothing like a girl." Naminé smiled a little.

Shawn shrugged. "I was just referring to the fact that you've played double-agent more than once."

"I would never betray my friends, so don't worry about that, punk," stated Axel as he folded his arms. "Just wanted to make sure none of you fell to pieces yet."

Sora pounded his chest. "We're pretty capable, Axel. Don't worry."

"What about Roxas?" asked Axel, who was staring at Sora somewhat expectantly.

"I'm not sure. I wanted to leave Kairi's body, and I was able. Roxas could do it before, but he hasn't done it yet," observed Naminé. "Or maybe he can't."

Roxas wasn't even making any sort of commentary in the back of Sora's mind. "I hope that wasn't the only reason you came here, Axel, because I don't think it's going to happen," remarked Sora.

Axel shook his head. "I just wanted to see you guys in person and warn you about the Organization and Dempsey."

"Who exactly is Dempsey, Axel? Do you know?" asked Kairi.

The pyromaniac shook his head. "He's not very open about himself to us. Or, at least, to most of the Organization. Xemnas might know, but I don't; sorry. I'm on a pretty short leash as it is. Not as short as Marluxia and Larxene, though."

Darcie's eyebrows shot up her forehead. "If Marluxia comes to see me at least once every day, then I don't think his leash is short enough," she muttered.

Axel grinned. "Just don't leave your house at night, wear a necklace of garlic, and you should be good to go."

"That might be good enough to keep Edward Cullen at bay, but I don't think it's going to work for a flower-loving Nobody," sighed Darcie. Katalin and Shawn grinned at her obscure reference.

"Does Dempsey know you're here?" wondered Riku.

Axel shook his head. "Nah, he sent me on another mission which, now that I think about it, I should probably go do. Don't worry, no one's been sent here, so you should be good to go. I'll be seeing you guys soon." A portal appeared behind him, but Naminé cried for him to wait before he could go.

"Be careful, Axel. Please?" she pleaded. "When are you going to leave them?"

"When it's safe. I'll figure something out; don't worry. Watch yourselves," was all Axel said before disappearing into the dark vortex. At that point, Naminé turned towards Kairi and rejoined her.

Sora glanced at the others and said, "We should get to the keyhole. Let's go." They climbed into their respective boats and rowed across the tranquil waters to the other island with no one saying anything until they got there. Tidus, Selphie, and Wakka's boats were docked at the small pier when they arrived at the play island, but the three of them were no where in sight. "Riku and I will take care of the keyhole. Kairi, why don't you take Darcie, Katalin, and Shawn to see if Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka are on the other side of the island?"

She agreed and led them down the beach while Sora and Riku disappeared around the trunk of a large tree and into a small hole that they had to crawl through. A bad feeling was slowly settling inside of Kairi's gut as she led the others through the door to the cove of the play island. When they appeared beneath the shade of a few large palm trees, Radiant Destiny flashed into her hand. "Something's not right. Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka never come to this side, but I'm pretty positive they weren't at the other side."

"Maybe they were inside the tree house or shack?" suggested Darcie. "Or even in the cave where Sora and Riku went?"

Kairi shook her head. "They're always outside, playing blitzball. Follow me, and do exactly what I do." They nodded and summoned Beautiful Disaster, Noir's Blossoms, and Eye of Truth. Shawn followed directly behind Kairi, then Darcie, with Katalin at the rear. Kairi jumped before touching down on a certain part of the makeshift bridge, but Shawn did not, and he fell into the water below. Scowling, Kairi demanded, "Didn't I tell you to do what _I _do?"

"I thought you were just OCD or something," argued Shawn as he picked himself out of the water. "Like I wanted to take a swim."

Kairi pointed at the land just a couple of feet away. "Just meet us up there, okay?" Darcie and Katalin took Kairi's orders to heart this time and walked and jumped the same way she did until they jumped over a bunch of bushes to reach land. They followed Kairi as she took a few steps forward and ducked onto the ground, peering over another line of thick bushes.

A girl with light brunet hair that jetted out in three separate flips appeared to be restrained by a jump rope near a bunch of coconut trees further down the beach. Pete was looking at her with a bored expression. "I thought it would be harder than this to capture ya, but I guess that it helps that you were alone."

_'Alone?' _wondered Kairi. "That's my friend, Selphie," she told Darcie, Katalin, and Shawn as he joined them. "But I don't see any sign of Tidus and Wakka."

"Their boats were at the dock," recalled Katalin. "Maybe they were back on the other side?" Kairi slowly stood.

"I'm not sure, but we have to help Selphie," she declared.

Darcie glanced at where Pete and Selphie were. "There's no way for us to be very inconspicuous, is there? Isn't there a more badass way to approach them?"

Kairi nodded and pointed up at a tower that they were standing near. "You could always go ahead and swing down there. I don't know how much of a good idea it--" Before she could finish, Darcie was already halfway up the tower.

"I'll go first, and the rest of you can follow behind. This should be fun," decided Darcie as Noir's Blossoms disappeared from her hand and she grabbed onto the hand-glider. She moved her weight forward, and the glider sailed forward. Pete looked up dumbly as he tried to make out the quiet squeaking, but he couldn't figure it out. That is, he couldn't figure it out until Darcie released the hand-glider and kicked Pete in the stomach with both feet. Pete fell to the sandy ground with a loud thud and Selphie began to shout her gratitude at Darcie.

The sound of feet pounding through the sand emitted from behind Darcie and she knew that the others had joined her. "Just so you know, that looked just as badass as it felt, I'm sure," assured Katalin as she shouldered Beautiful Disaster.

Darcie smiled. "I'm glad."

Radiant Destiny went to Pete's throat. "Pete, didn't you realize that we'd be coming back here eventually? How exactly did you think kidnapping Selphie would turn out?" demanded Kairi as Shawn released Selphie by cutting the jump rope.

Selphie gathered the pieces of her broken jump rope and sighed. "That was... mine." Shawn didn't apologize. "Kairi, thank goodness you're back!" She clung to her friend's keyblade wielding arm almost immediately.

Pete grunted unrecognizable words under his breath. Kairi pushed Radiant Destiny a little farther into his throat. "Fine, don't answer that, then answer this: Where are Tidus and Wakka?"

"How am I supposed to know?" groaned Pete. "I was supposed to capture them, too, to lure you guys, but... they were already taken away by someone else in a portal."

Kairi glanced at Selphie for confirmation; the other girl nodded. "Yeah. This woman said something about needing their help..." Selphie trailed off. "But I wasn't allowed to go. I don't even know where they went."

"Do you, Pete?" asked Katalin as she took a few steps closer to the dog-man. He shook his head vehemently.

"It wasn't any of Maleficent's people, if that's what you're asking!"

Shawn chuckled. "He sure sings like a bird, doesn't he?" Pete glared at Shawn, opened his mouth to say something, then closed it when he thought better of it.

"Let's try this. What does Maleficent know about the other Princesses?" asked Darcie as she also pointed her keyblade at Pete.

He shook his head vehemently and summoned Shadows, Soldiers, Hook Bats, and Large Bodies. Kairi, Katalin, and Darcie tore away their keyblades and busied themselves with destroying the Heartless that were suddenly bombarding them. Pete took off up the slope. "Shawn, protect Selphie!" ordered Kairi as she ran towards a Large Body, only to be rebounded by its large stomach. "Fira!" A ring of fireballs surrounded her and pushed the Heartless further away.

Shawn scowled at having to babysit someone else, but remained in front of Selphie, warding off Shadows, Neoshadows, Soldiers, and Hook Bats without really being able to defeat them -- if only because he didn't want to get too far away from Selphie. A particularly stubborn Large Body continued to appear behind Darcie and attack her, so when it took off down the beach, she followed after it with a vengeance. In the meantime, a few Hook Bats entangled themselves in Katalin's hair, serving as a nuisance more than anything else. Or, at least, a distraction. A Neoshadow appeared behind Katalin, poised to steal her heart.

Cursing under his breath, Shawn disentangled himself from Selphie's side and destroyed the Neoshadow. Katalin tried to turn to yell at him for leaving Selphie, but the Hook Bats continued to yank her every which way, and she realized that Shawn had just saved her from becoming like her uncle. "Fire!" cried Katalin, aiming a wild spell at one of the Hook Bats, which forced it to disentangle itself from her hair. With Shawn's help, she destroyed the Heartless. "Thanks, Shawn."

"Huh. I've been wanting to hear that out of you for a while now," he admitted as he pushed some of his hair out of his face.

Katalin shook her head and turned back towards Selphie. Selphie had taken an old jump rope from the old raft that was sitting in the water and was using it to tug around the Heartless around her. "She thinks on her feet, huh? Let's go help her before the Heartless start to do the same."

"That's unlikely to ever happen, but let's," agreed Shawn as the two of them joined Selphie in attacking the Heartless. From near a star-shaped tree, Pete was summoning more and more Heartless to attack them, but they all abruptly disappeared.

Kairi grinned. "Thank you Sora and Riku. Now, you...!" She turned her attention back to Pete, only to notice that he was disappearing through a cave beside the tree. "Agh. After him! Shawn, Selphie, come with me! Katalin, you and Darcie go back the way we came!" Shawn and Kairi ran up the slope and entered the cave.

Katalin ran back down the beach, meeting Darcie near the tower. "I got that damn Heartless before the keyhole could make it disappear," she reported happily.

"Great, Darc," laughed Katalin. "But we have to go after Pete."

Darcie's eyebrows knitted together. "He managed to outrun you guys? Really?" Katalin shoved her playfully, and the two of them howled war cries as they ran across the bridge.

**XxX**

When Riku and Sora crawled back out of the Secret Place, they spotted Pete walking down the beach, whistling. Way to Dawn and Kingdom Key flashed into their hands as they ran forward and apprehended him. "So, Pete. I'm guessing you're not just here for the scenic view," remarked Sora.

Pete grinned. "Well, if it isn't the keyblade brat and the ex-dark wielder. I didn't expect to see you two here."

Riku's eyebrows furrowed together. "This is our _home_. Of course we're here."

"Where are Kairi and the others?" demanded Sora, suddenly ferocious.

Pete shrugged. He opened his mouth to respond but was abruptly thrown flat on his face from the attack of two keyblade wielders. Shawn and Kairi smiled proudly while Selphie hung back with a victorious grin. Riku shook his head and stepped on one of Pete's hands; the dog-man howled with pain. "What exactly is Maleficent up to?"

"The same as you," sneered Pete through the pain.

"Protecting the worlds from darkness? I seriously doubt that," called Darcie as she and Katalin appeared under the bridge leading from the shack to another isle.

Pete stood up, but he knew that there was no way to take on all six keyblade wielders at once. He held up his hand in surrender. "You guys have won this round, for now. Next time, you won't be so fortunate!" He promised before ducking into a portal that had seemingly appeared out of no where.

Katalin pushed her hair out of her face as everyone's keyblade disappeared. "We didn't get many answers from Pete, but at least Destiny Islands is sealed."

"We have to find Wakka and Tidus," stated Kairi before turning toward Selphie. "What exactly did this woman look like?"

Selphie became thoughtful. "She was wearing a black dress that looked like it had a lot of belts. She had long black hair... and she was carrying a moogle doll."

"Anyone you guys know?" Darcie asked Kairi, Sora, and Riku. The three of them shook their heads.

"Never heard of anyone like her, but... maybe we'll find them if we go visit other worlds. Let's go back to the Gummi Ship and decide what to do from there," said Sora.

Selphie put her hands on her hips, the bits of her broken jump rope still in them. "You should go back and see your parents. They're worried!"

Riku hated to admit it, but he knew that she was right. "We should probably tell them that we're going to be gone for longer than what we first thought." They decided to take Katalin, Darcie, and Shawn with them. Everyone took their own boat (or, in Katalin and Darcie's cases, stealing Tidus and Wakka's while Shawn rode with Selphie) back to the main island of Destiny Islands.

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**A/n: It's just not a KH story without Pete showing up every few chapters to cause some trouble. Or, at the very least, make an ass out of himself. So, I'm kinda leaving tomorrow for South Carolina. xD' I'll try to get another chapter up before that, but I don't think I'll be able. Please review! **


	12. Sadists

**Chapter Eleven:**  
Sadists

**A/n: This chapter is going to start off in the Gummi Ship because I didn't feel like doing a whole lot more in Destiny Islands. Heh. x3 I wound up not leaving for SC, by the by, but... I was a little lazy in updating. Sorry. xD The new world mentioned, "Snow White's House" is a name that's been given to Snow White's world, for the time being. It's probably not the official name, but it's what kh wiki is calling it, so I'm going with it. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Kingdom Hearts.**

_'If you could see that I'm the one who understands you,_

_Been here all along, so why can't you see?_

_You belong with me.'_

**-"You Belong With Me" by Taylor Swift**

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"Ugh, I feel like the size of a whale," groaned Darcie as she sat on the bench at the back of the cockpit with Katalin.

Shawn, who was sitting on the other side of Katalin, remarked, "Well, you didn't have to eat so much."

Darcie scowled. "I didn't want to be rude."

"Sure," replied Shawn with an arrogant grin. Darcie lunged over Katalin to attack Shawn, and he did the same. Katalin tried and failed to break them apart, so Riku did the job for her by pulling Shawn up by the collar of his shirt.

"Shawn, you work the artillery. I feel like sitting back and relaxing," decided Riku, giving Shawn not a minute to respond before pushing him in the direction of the chair. "I still don't think he should come with us, Sora."

Sora, who was settling himself in the pilot's seat, grinned. "We can't let him go with Katalin and Darcie. Putting Darcie and Shawn in the same group is a really bad idea, and, besides..."

"We want to go with Kairi," declared Darcie. "Sorry, Riku. We're a little more used to her than we are you."

Katalin nodded. "She's the third musketeer for our group."

Riku groaned. "So we have to pay for that?" Katalin, Kairi, and Darcie nodded.

"Where are we going?" Kairi asked Sora.

Sora glanced at the screen of the worlds that had been ejected out of the ceiling. "Riku, Shawn, and I are going to Beast's Castle to check on Belle. You three can go to..." His eyes scanned the screen of the worlds. "Well, that's new. Snow White's House. I'm guessing you can find Snow White there, so I think you three should find her, make sure she's okay, and seal the world."

There was no argument from any of the girls as the Gummi Ship started up and headed in the direction of the new world. Luckily for them, it was relatively close to Beast's Castle. "We'll come find you guys when we're finished up with the Castle; I don't think it'll take long," remarked Riku as the ship hovered over Snow White's world.

Kairi and Darcie stepped into the center of the cockpit, but Katalin was halted by Shawn reaching back and grabbing her wrist. "Kat, be careful." The look in his brown eyes was intense. Since when had Shawn, happy-go-danger Shawn ever stopped to worry about someone's safety? Maybe, after their talk the previous night, things would be different between them. Red crept onto her cheeks and all she could manage was a nod.

When she joined the other two, their bodies were engulfed in a lime green light. In the time it took for them to blink, they found themselves in the center of a forest, in close proximity to a modest-sized cottage. "How fortunate for us that we automatically landed by Snow White's House," murmured Darcie. "This world really needs a better name." Kairi nodded her agreement as she took up the lead of the group. Katalin and Darcie exchanged a glance, but shrugged it off. Being so close with Sora likely meant that Kairi would pick up some of his traits. Besides, Kairi knew more about Snow White, being a Princess of Heart and all, so they had no problem with her taking charge.

They passed through a wooden gate and headed to the door of the cottage. Kairi boldly knocked on the door and awaited for, she guessed, Snow White to answer it. When the door swung open, it was not the beautiful Snow White who answered. In fact, it was a rather short man with a large pink nose wearing a red tunic and brown hat. He scowled up at them (because his head barely came to their waists) and folded his arms. "What are you three women doing here?" he demanded.

Kairi frowned down at him. The sparks flying between them seemed almost explosive, and Katalin was quite sure that if looks could kill, then Kairi and the man would drop dead. "Does Snow White live here?" asked Kairi although her tone made it obvious that she really wanted to say something else.

Again, the man scowled. "Who's askin'?"

"A fellow Princess of Heart," growled Kairi. "My name is Kairi. I met Snow White a few years ago. Tell me whether or not she's here, shortie, before things get ugly."

The man's face turned red. Katalin and Darcie could have told her that insulting the man's height would get her no where, but they were quite sure she already knew that. One thing they had learned about Kairi, aside from the fact that she had the tendency to act as a leader in Sora and Riku's absence, was that she had quite the temper. Usually, it took a lot for her to get set off, but they guessed that she wasn't in the best of moods, as of late. "Who're you callin' shortie, red?" demanded the man.

"I don't know if a magnifying glass could even help me see you," replied Kairi with a small grin.

His ears turned red. "Who are you callin' so short that he can't be seen with a magnifyin' glass?!" **(A/n: Totally stole that from Edward Elric of FMA. If you know who I'm talking about, then take a virtual cookie.) **

Katalin opened her mouth and made to stop the madness, but another man quickly appeared beside the first. "Grumpy, be polite to our guests!" ordered the man. He was the same height as Grumpy only with a much shorter beard. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and smiled pleasantly at the girls. This man was wearing a brown hat and a red tunic with short sleeves. "It's always nice to meet friends of Snow White's."

"She doesn't have any other friends," pointed out Grumpy.

The bespectacled man stifled Grumpy with a withering glare, which informed the girls that he must not have used the expression often. "My name is Doc, and this is Grumpy. Please, come in. Snow White should be back any minute."

As Kairi followed Doc inside of the house, she thought she heard Darcie say something about Grumpy being her favorite person in the world thus far. Katalin retorted with something that sounded a lot like, "Well, that's because the two of you are so much alike." She cried out in pain, and the conversation continued on no longer. The large room where Doc led them was filled with different instruments (an organ, drums, you name it and it was there) and even more short men. A particularly shy one was off to the side, nervously playing with the light bluish-green hat in his hand. Next to him was a sleeping man donned in a faded brown tunic with his green cap covering his eyes.

A astoundingly friendly man ran up to them, wearing a cheery expression. Like Doc, he had a short beard. Unlike Doc, he was rather round. He was wearing a red tunic with long brown-orange sleeves. "Friends of Snow White's? It's so nice to meet you!" He grasped each of their hands and shook them vigorously. "I'm Happy!"

"You sure are," murmured Darcie under her breath. "Why do you all assume we're friends of Snow White's?"

"Because, no one that looks like you three can be a-a-a... Aaaachoo!" a man wearing a long sleeved brown tunic and orange hat began before breaking off with a large sneeze that knocked him down. Kairi, Katalin, and Darcie immediately wore alarmed expressions, but Happy waved them off.

"Don't worry. He does that all the time!"

Grumpy was suddenly beside them again. With a suspicious glance at Kairi, he asked, "How do we know that you're friends of Snow White?"

Kairi glared right back at him. "Doesn't the fact that I mentioned being a Princess of Heart mean _anything _to you?"

"Well, you could be with those black bugs that keep comin' round," murmured Grumpy. Before they could ask him about the bugs, a giggle shook them from their conversation.

Joining them was a girl wearing a long, beautiful blue and yellow dress with a tall white collar. A red ribbon was tied around her head, making a sharp contrast with her beautiful, wavy black hair. "Snow White," breathed Kairi, obviously relieved at seeing a familiar face.

"Kairi, it's so nice to see you again," remarked Snow White with a large smile. Kairi was relatively surprised the Princess remembered her name. She had only met the other princesses for a short amount of time in Hollow Bastion. The tone of Snow White's voice sounded naturally musical. Her cheeks had a beautiful, healthy tinge of red to them. "Oh. And you are...?"

"Friends of Kairi and the cause," answered Darcie. "I'm Darcie, and that's Katalin." She gestured to herself and her best friend in response. Snow White tilted her head to the side, obviously confused. Darcie was sure that she couldn't have been much older than fourteen or fifteen. **(A/n: I... can't believe she was only fourteen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.) **

Snow White set the picnic basket that she was holding on the floor. "I have a feeling that you three are here for more than a visit. It has to do with the black bugs, the Heartless, doesn't it?"

"Heartless?" groaned Kairi. "Go figure. Well, Snow White..." She trailed off as she tried to choose words that wouldn't frighten the other girl. "Maleficent was revived with the help of Organization XIII, her pet raven, and a few fairies about a year or so ago. Since Organization XIII has been destroyed, she's been, we think, searching for Princesses of Heart, including four new ones. But Organization XIII has also been revived and they and the man who revived them, Dempsey, is on the lookout for all the princesses. We could be wrong, but we're pretty sure we're right." For the first time since they had met Kairi, the determination was not in her violet eyes and had been replaced by fear.

In fact, Katalin recognized it as the look she had seen in Kairi's eyes when they first met, when the Katalin had regained consciousness in the Des Plaines river.

**XxxxxX**

When Sora, Riku, and Shawn touched down in the courtyard of Beast's Castle, it was significantly brighter than Sora recalled. In fact, the morning sun was lighting the sky with an orange light and the trees had buds on them. The minute they entered the Entrance Hall, however, Sora quickly found himself face to face with the point of a sword. "What business do you have in my castle?" growled the sword's wielder in a voice familiar to Sora. The man's bright red hair was more orange than red and, although it looked like it was normally well-kept, it seemed to be all over the place. The feral look in his blue eyes was one Sora recalled perfectly.

As both men realized who the other was, Sora straightened up and smiled as the man pulled the sword away from his face and sheathed it in the scabbard at his hip. The smile slipped off his face as soon as it came, and Sora said, "Beast, is something--"

"That's Prince Adam," corrected the other man gently, although the feral look had not yet left his eyes. His eyes settled on Riku. "You are--" His tone was a snarl.

Riku was wearing a bitter smile on his lips. "The one from Hollow Bastion. The one who attacked Sora. The one who was going to use your body as a vessel?" he asked with the slightest hint of arrogance in his voice. "You're absolutely right."

Prince Adam did not respond, simply exhaled out of his nose while glancing wildly from Sora to Riku like some sort of trapped animal. "Is he...?"

"A friend," answered Sora. "He only helped Maleficent because he was trying to save our other friend, Kairi. Everything he did was to help her; he didn't want to help Maleficent. He's my best friend."

Riku shook his head and put his hand on Sora's shoulder briefly. "I don't need you to defend me, Sora." His voice lost the hard, arrogant edge, leaving only tiredness in it.

"So, what's going on here, exactly? My guess is that you don't normally greet guests with your sword," remarked Shawn, if only to lighten up the mood and remind Sora and Riku why they were there.

Prince Adam stared at Shawn for half a second before looking back at Sora. "Heartless have been appearing all over the castle. Nobodies, too."

"Nobodies?!" shouted Sora, Riku, and Shawn. They exchanged a quick glance. If Nobodies were appearing, it was because Dempsey and the Organization were making their move. "We have to do something. Where's Belle?" asked Sora.

"In her room," answered Adam. "I thought she would be safer there." Sora, Riku, and Shawn were already starting for the staircase leading to the East Wing, where Belle's room lay.

"I would think that the safest place for Belle would be beside the prince," stated Shawn as they headed up another flight of stairs and pushed open the heavy doors to the East Wing. Another pair of footsteps behind told them that Adam had joined them.

Riku glanced at Shawn as they stepped into the hall and were immediately assaulted by Shadows, Morning Stars, and Hook Bats. "And also the most dangerous."

"Isn't that the way most things work?" replied Shawn as he chased after a Hook Bat that had separated from the rest of the group and headed down the hall. As Shawn passed a Gargoyle statue, its twin burst from the wall and attacked him with its battle axe. "Well, that was unexpected." He had unconsciously put a hand to his heart to calm its frantic beating.

Sora turned toward Adam after destroying a few Shadows. "How long has this been going on?"

Without looking at him, Adam responded, "A few days."

Nodding, Sora turned his attention back to a Morning Star. If the Heartless and Nobodies had started to appear inside the castle for a few days, then why hadn't an Organization member appeared? "Beast, no Organization XIII members have been around, have they?"

"Adam," corrected the prince with a more annoyed tone. "No, I haven't seen anyone on the grounds besides my servants."

Once all of the Heartless were destroyed, Sora glanced around for Riku and found the seafoam eyes already on his own. It was doubtful that Adam knew his whole staff well, so it was entirely possible that an Organization member had been blending in and pretending to work; Adam would never know the difference. Only, Sora imagined that Adam's servants didn't have very eccentric hair; that was not true of any Organization member. "Be--Adam, this is _really _important. Did you notice that any of your servants had hair that was a bit different from the usual? I don't know. A different color, a different style..."

"Sora," began Adam, really sounding aggravated now, "I just got married not too long ago. The last thing I'm going to do is focus on how my servants are doing the hair."

At that bit of news, Sora perked up quite a bit. "You and Belle got married?"

A wide, proud smile was on Adam's lips as he nodded. Shawn reappeared before the three of them with his hair messy and his clothes somewhat torn. "I'm sure that we all want to know what was served at the after party and what the bride's maids were wearing, but we have more pressing matters right now. Prince, it's extremely important that you know how your servants look, in this case. Organization XIII has a history of having members with very eccentric hair, from what I've seen."

"They'll be here soon, right?" asked Riku when he noticed Adam about ready to kill Shawn for his lip. "Oh, wait. You're a... Aren't you a King if you married Belle?"

Adam nodded nonchalantly. "I suppose. I'm more used to the title of Prince, though, I suppose." **(A/n: And we all know that Disney has a bias against Kings and Queens in most movies.) **

Riku nodded. "Right, yeah. Anyway, don't your servants live here?" Sora and Shawn quickly realized where he was going with the thought.

"Why don't you go get them lined up in the ballroom while we go check on Belle?" suggested Sora. Adam nodded in agreement and was quickly off. They continued down the hall, which had been cleared of its Heartless by Shawn, and Sora entered the door at the end without bothering to knock, making both Riku and Shawn balk.

When they hesitantly followed Sora into the room, the woman inside seemed hardly fazed. She smiled warmly at the three of them and embraced Sora in a tight hug. "Sora, it's so good to see you again. And you have the most perfect timing, too."

Sora smiled when they parted and informed her, "We met up with Beast. He told us that the Heartless and Nobodies started to appear a few days ago. There's a lot to tell you two, including that you might have a traitor in your midst." Belle nodded, looking grave for just a moment before her brown eyes fell on Riku and Shawn. Her dark brown hair was tied with a blue ribbon that matched the color of her dress, making the true length of it a mystery. The deep red of her lips matched the healthy blush on her cheeks. From the way she dressed to the way she held herself, it was quite obvious that Belle was not as naïve as the average princess. "Sorry, Belle. This is Riku, and that's Shawn," introduced Sora with a sheepish smile.

Belle smiled and nodded, her pleasant demeanor returning as quickly as it had gone. "Princess," began Shawn.

"Just call me Belle," she replied, still smiling. She giggled quietly when a faint blush appeared on his cheeks.

"Belle, from what Sora told me, I got the feeling that you know the servants better than Beast, right?" asked Shawn, mentally wincing when he realized the name he had used. At her nod, he continued, "Then you would know if someone didn't belong?"

Again she nodded, but she bit down on her lip nervously. "Adam hired some new people, so I can't be sure that I know everyone."

"But you would remember someone who stood out a lot, right? Like if they had hair that you don't normally see," said Sora.

Belle tucked a stray strand of brunet hair behind her ear. "Yes."

"Then, let's get to the Ballroom and see if we can pick out the person that doesn't belong," suggested Riku.

Shawn grinned and started for the door. Under his breath, he sang, "One of these things is not like the other..."

**XxxxxX**

Snow White remained quiet, as did the dwarf brothers, throughout Kairi, Katalin, and Darcie's explanation of what was currently going on. When they finished, Darcie asked, "You've been going outside and roaming around even though there are Heartless about?"

"Yes," replied Snow White, her cheeks slightly redder than before. "I recently discovered that I can use my light to destroy them, particularly the weaker ones. They don't bother any of the others when they go to the mines, though."

Kairi, Darcie, and Katalin exchanged a glance but said nothing. Maybe Snow White was in no immediate danger and the only remedy was sealing the world. Doc was the first one to speak up after a few moments of silence passed. "Speaking of, we should be heading over there. We just wanted to make sure Snow White was alright."

As the dwarfs all got up and headed to the door, Snow White rushed to the doorway and kissed all of their foreheads as they headed out. Grumpy scowled and blushed as Snow White kissed him and rushed outside after the others. Another brother, the smallest of them all, dressed in a green tunic that was too long for him and a purple hat eagerly ran over to Snow White. His small stature wasn't the only thing that set him apart from the rest; he had absolutely no hair on him whatsoever. There was no beard, and his head was completely bald. He much resembled a baby. "That's Dopey," informed Snow White as he headed after his brothers and they headed into the kitchen. "They call him that because he's very different. He doesn't even speak. But I say it's because he's clever enough to know he doesn't need to."

Darcie nodded her agreement. "Yeah, but you know what they say: it's always the quiet ones..." Katalin elbowed her, and she abruptly fell quiet.

"We're going to go look for the keyhole, Snow White. Will you be alright here, by yourself?" asked Kairi although she knew she didn't have to. The cottage was located in the middle of a _forest_. Besides, she assumed that Snow White normally stayed in the house while the others were away.

"Oh, yes. I'm going to make a pie with the berries I picked. After you seal the keyhole, come back and have a slice," remarked Snow White.

Kairi, Katalin, and Darcie eagerly nodded their agreement. Homemade pie was always welcomed, no matter how full one really was. "Hey, Snow White, do you have any idea where the keyhole could be? It's usually somewhere more or less important," said Kairi.

At this, Snow White looked nervous. "Well, the only important place that comes to mind is the Castle..."

"Isn't that always the truth?" murmured Kairi, shaking her head. "Well, what's wrong with the Castle? Isn't the Queen nice?" She recalled that Snow White's title was princess because of blood, not just being a Princess of Heart. "You know, I've always been curious. Why don't you live in the Castle, too?"

Snow White looked away and out the window as her happy expression disappeared. "The Queen is my stepmother. She's very vain and wants to be the fairest in this land. When her Magic Mirror told her one day that I had become the fairest in the land, she ordered her Huntsman to take me into the forest and kill me and bring back my heart in a jeweled box as proof. But, he couldn't kill me," a faint smile appeared on her lips. "He told me to run and to never return to the castle. I found this cottage and decided to stay for a quick nap since no one was home. When the dwarfs came home and found me, they weren't very angry. In fact, they kindly allowed me to stay. I've been so grateful that I've cleaned and cooked for them."

The other three girls' expressions became downcast. "That's so terrible," muttered Katalin. "But, you're happy here, right?"

The smile returned to Snow White's lips as she nodded and looked back at them. "Yes. Very. If I had to guess, then I would say that you'll find the keyhole inside the Castle somewhere. Maybe the mirror or the jeweled box. If you go north, then you will come across the Castle."

Kairi nodded. "Thank you, Snow White. When we're done, we'll come see you." She gestured for Katalin and Darcie to follow her as she headed out of the room and out of the house.

Knowing the others were thinking along the same lines, Katalin said, "That Queen obviously has a lot of darkness in her heart. It's a wonder Heartless weren't here sooner."

"But they were," pointed out Kairi. "When Snow White was captured. But that was probably more or less on account of Maleficent's actions."

As they exited the yard through the gate, Shadows began to appear immediately. "Maybe we should unseat that Queen. That way, the Heartless would disappear even sooner."

"I wish we could, but we can't," sighed Kairi. "No meddling in other world's affairs."

"But, from what Sora's told us, he's done that plenty of times," mentioned Darcie as she destroyed two Shadows.

Kairi raised her eyebrows after casting a firaga spell on the remaining Shadows. "Do you want to do half of the stuff that Sora's done?"

Darcie shook her head. "No way."

**XxxxxX**

When Belle, Sora, Riku, and Shawn arrived in the Ballroom, they found Adam already inside with all of the servants. A little boy with bright, orange-red hair waved vigorously at Sora. "Sora!" he called, still waving earnestly. "Sora, it's me, Chip!"

If it was possible for anyone's mouth to drop to the floor, then Sora's would have done just that. "Chip?" He shouldn't have been half as surprised as he was; after all, the Beast had undergone an amazing transformation, too. With the realization that everyone had undergone a transformation, Sora could immediately pick out the others. "Mrs. Potts," he acknowledged an older woman with hair the color of snow. "Lumiere and Cogsworth." Sora paused at two men, a tall brunet with his long hair tied back with a yellow ribbon nodded while the shorter, rounder of the two twirled his long brown mustache.

While Sora stopped to hold a conversation with his old friends, Riku and Shawn continued down the line of servants with Belle. They sized up each servant, but they couldn't find anything wrong with a single one of them. Finally, they stopped at the end of the line, at a woman with golden blond/brown hair. Her green eyes looked bored at first but quickly became earnest as Shawn and Riku stared at her. Her hair, obviously long, was held up in a heap atop her head with a pair of chopsticks. She was wearing a dark, long green dress that matched her eyes.

Riku and Shawn could find nothing wrong with her, aside from the fact that her dress was too beautiful for a servant. "Oh. She's not a servant, not really," remarked Belle, as if reading the boys' minds. "She was an orphan. She came here a few nights ago when it was raining, and we offered to take her in."

"'We'," snorted Adam. Belle threw him a quick glare before turning back toward the blonde.

"There were Heartless outside. You wouldn't have made her stay out there with them."

Shawn couldn't stop himself from staring. He wasn't sure if he had ever seen a more beautiful woman before. Riku sounded skeptical when he asked, "And does she have a name?"

"I do. If you actually bothered to speak _to _me and not about me like I'm not here, then maybe I would give it to you," remarked the woman with a slight glare. Belle appeared uneasy at her attitude.

Riku nodded. "Have it your way. What's your name?"

"Sadi," she answered.

"If you are quite finished with us, then I do believe we would be more than eager to return to our quarters," stated Cogsworth. "The return of Heartless and Nobodies has made us all uneasy."

Adam inclined his head. "We'll look for the keyhole so that they'll leave again. You may all go." The servants barely waited for him to finish his sentence before rushing toward the Ballroom's doors.

Sora folded his arms. "Are they everywhere?" Adam knew what he was referring to and nodded.

"Yes. They first began to appear outside of the Castle, in the village below here," he answered. "Where do you think the keyhole might be, Sora?"

Sora shook his head and looked toward Riku and Shawn for a good response. Both of them shrugged, having never been to the world before. "I would say the rose, but I'm guessing that it's gone if the curse has been lifted," murmured Sora.

"The case is still here, in my room," offered Adam. "But perhaps we should split up and look?"

The others nodded their agreement. "Riku and S--" began Sora, but he was cut off by another voice.

"Sadi," inputted the woman with a smile. They were quite surprised to see her still standing there.

Belle turned toward her. "Sadi, why don't you return to your room...?"

"Because I want to be with people who can _protect _me, not run and scream when danger comes," she replied. No one could argue with that.

"Shawn, you go with them. Sadi, do you know the Castle well?" wondered Sora.

She nodded and giggled. "Well enough. I think the three of us can figure it out, right?" Sadi put her arm around Shawn's waist, but when she tried to do the same to Riku, he moved away.

"I'll go with Belle and Beast," decided Sora.

"That's _Adam_," groaned the prince.

As Shawn and Sadi started for the Ballroom's doors, he asked, "So, Sadi, is that your full name?"

All she replied with was, "No. My full name's French."

* * *

**A/n: This chapter was getting pretty long, so I decided to cut it in half. Nothing much to say other than to please review! :D  
**


	13. Identity

**Chapter Twelve:  
**Identity

**A/n: At any rate, after watching a bit of **_**Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs**_**, I can now believe that Snow White was supposed to be about fourteen. xD I don't think that they really showed the Castle in the movie, so I'm just going to improvise. :3 Incidentally, I realized that I uncannily left Beas--ADAM. Adam. Adam and Belle in separate rooms. My bad. Just think of it as Belle goes to her room when she needs to be by herself...? Dx' I don't know. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters from **_**Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs**_** or **_**Beauty and the Beast**_**.**

_'Lipstick lullabies._

_This is sorry for the last time._

_And baby I understand that you're making new friends;_

_this is how you get by._

_The moral this time is: girls make boys cry.'_

**-"When I Get Home, You're So Dead" by Mayday Parade**

**

* * *

  
**

After almost an hour or so of wandering through the dark forest, the trees became more and more sparse until Kairi, Katalin, and Darcie could clearly see the sun. When they stepped out of the forest, however, they found that the majority of the sun was being blocked by the dark Castle looming in the distance. "That looks welcoming," murmured Darcie as they started up the hill in order to get a better look at their surroundings. Around the Castle was a town, which was not very unusual. Kairi could make out a clear path through the village and to the gates of the Castle.

But did they really want to go headfirst into the Castle of a sadistic, wicked Queen? Unsure, Kairi looked toward the other two. "What do you think we should do?" she asked.

Kairi pointed out the path she had found, and Darcie shook her head. "The rulers of each world usually know about their world's keyhole, right?" At Kairi's nod, she continued, "And this Queen isn't very kind, so I can't imagine her letting us inside when we say, 'But we only want to seal your keyhole!'" Katalin giggled, but neither Darcie nor Kairi commented on it.

_'I could get us into the Castle,' _remarked Naminé's soft voice in Kairi's mind.

"She won't let us. I wouldn't be surprised if Maleficent herself is here, watching us," continued Darcie. "Quite clever of you, really," a woman's voice remarked from behind them, in the forest. The hair on the back of Kairi's neck rose at the voice. Radiant Destiny, Beautiful Disaster, and Noir's Blossoms reappeared in their respective owner's hands as Darcie and Katalin turned. Wearing a smile that could be described as nothing less than evil on her raspberry-colored lips, Maleficent surveyed the girls. "Katalin, Darcie, so nice to finally meet the two of you. Ah, the two of you are more beautiful in person than from the view of my cauldron, I see."

Maleficent held her staff up in one hand and began to walk off to the side with a crimson nail to her cheek. "But, I wonder, ladies, if you know as much about me as I do about you." Darcie and Katalin faltered as their nerves overcame them, but Kairi finally turned around and took a few steps forward so that she was standing just in front of them. "Oh, _Kairi_, it really has been too long."

"I just saw you a month or so ago," growled Kairi in response as she brandished her keyblade threateningly.

The witch cackled. "Do you really think that I fear you, a Princess of complete light? Nonsense. You don't even know how to use your power, you little fool." Darkness was beginning to gather around her figure.

Darcie recovered and glared. "So, the fact that you're finally appearing to us instead of sending your little minion should mean something, right? What do you want of us at this moment in time, Maleficent?"

Maleficent smiled at her. It looked almost knowing. "My dear, you have all of the qualities that I like in my apprentices. Won't you consider joining me?"

"Fuck no," growled Darcie. "I know what happens to the people who join you. You give them false promises, which they're stupid enough to believe, and then they usually meet with an untimely, graphic end."

"Smart girl," muttered Maleficent.

"Why are you _here_?" demanded Kairi, bravely taking a few more steps forward.

Maleficent shook her head. "I came to collect. If you brats and your friends think that you know me so well, then you should know what I'm here for."

Kairi's hand went to her heart, but her body was already getting engulfed by golden light. Naminé stepped out with a determined expression. As determined, at least, as a transparent girl could look. Maleficent cackled at her. "Am I to be frightened of you, witch?" asked Maleficent with her eyebrows raised.

"I could ask you the same thing," replied Naminé, her hands balled into fists. "You aren't going to get what you've come for, Maleficent."

Maleficent inclined her head somewhat. "Indeed you are correct. I can hardly whisk away a transparent girl. However," she paused, her yellow eyes flashing like a cat who had spotted its prey, "her Somebody and the princess of this land; those I _can _do." The witch lifted her arms, and a ring of green fire pushed everyone but Kairi away. A barrier rose around the two of them.

"Kairi!" cried Naminé, Darcie, and Katalin once they recovered. Burns covered their arms from the fire. Darcie slashed at the barrier, as if her keyblade could cut through it, while Naminé and Katalin watched Kairi face Maleficent with grim expressions.

"Way to prove a point, Maleficent," mumbled Kairi as she clutched Radiant Destiny with both of her hands.

Maleficent raised her eyebrows. "And what point do you think I was trying to make?"

"'I can separate one innocent girl from the rest and pretend to be a real badass,'" replied Kairi. She blinked once she realized what she had said. Outside of the barrier, the other three had the same reaction.

Naminé turned toward Darcie and Katalin. "You two are making quite the impact on Kairi."

Darcie finally halted her attack and pretended to wipe a tear away. "They grow up so fast," she remarked in a mock-sad voice. "Kick her ass, Kairi!" Maleficent glanced at them with an annoyed expression before snapping. A large amount of Heartless appeared outside of the barrier, forcing Katalin and Darcie to their attention away from Kairi and Maleficent.

**XxxxxX**

"I don't get it, Shawn," began Riku as he and the other keyblade wielder followed after Sadi, who had insisted on leading the way. "The way you've been acting lately, I thought you and Katalin might..."When Riku trailed off, Shawn glanced his way. "Might what? We're friends, maybe." He chuckled, and Riku found himself strangely annoyed.

"You would wave off a relationship with someone else -- someone you actually know -- that easily? I was starting to think that I was wrong about you, but now I know that I'm still right," he murmured.

Shawn shrugged lightly. "Think what you want." He ran ahead so that he was on step with Sadi, who giggled as he put his arm around her waist. "So, where to, Sadi?"

"The forest. I have a good feeling about the forest," she replied, smiling brightly with her rosy red lips. If Shawn found the answer suspicious, he showed no outward sign of it. All of Riku's instincts were screaming at him to stay in the Castle, but he knew that he couldn't leave Shawn to face his doom alone.

He shook his head. Sora was starting to rub off on him, and he wasn't sure how okay that was with him. Especially because he knew Shawn wouldn't be the biggest loss to the group in the world.

**XxX**

With Kingdom Key pointed at the empty case on the small bedside table, Sora, Belle, and Adam waited with bated breath. The tip of the keyblade didn't so much as spark. Groaning, Sora allowed his weapon to disappear as he turned toward the other two. "Well, it was worth a shot. Where else do you think we could look?"

"I have a feeling about the Ballroom," remarked Belle in an almost apologetic voice. "I should have said something sooner; I'm sorry."

Adam shook his head as he draped his arm around her shoulders. "It's worth a try, isn't it, Sora?" Sora nodded, grinning. "It's the best we've got, right?"

**XxxxxX**

Every part of Kairi, except for her brain and heart, were starting to scream at her to surrender herself. The meteors that Maleficent continued to summon, along with the Heartless, were taking huge tolls on her body. She was bleeding excessively and, currently, trying to outrun lightning bolts that seemed to be homing in on her. Kairi finally fell to one knee and the bolt struck her shoulder, breaking through her skin, and sending bright crimson blood down her back. As she looked up at Maleficent, who was smiling wickedly, she knew that the worst part was not doing any damage to the witch. None of her strikes from Radiant Destiny had harmed the sorceress. That much was obvious.

Kairi fell to both knees, and Maleficent's shadow was thrown over her body. Her skin burned as crimson nails bit into her chin as Maleficent yanked it upward. "Perhaps I shall leave you with what's left of your pride," she hissed, "for now." The pressure left Kairi's chin, but the burning did not. Kairi put a hand to her skin and looked at it when she pulled it away; it was covered in blood.

Still smiling, Maleficent took a few steps backward before her cloak swirled around her like wings. The barrier audibly shattered, and Darcie and Katalin rushed in front of Kairi with their keyblades raised. Hungry yellow eyes locked onto Darcie's light brown ones. "I hunger for it, Darcie; I can feel it strongly. Now, don't you four worry; I shall be around, soon enough. Farewell for now, dears. Do say hello to my good friend, Queen Grimhilde." Green and black flames licked up Maleficent's body until she disappeared completely.

Katalin turned toward Kairi, if only to spare herself from considering Maleficent's words for the moment. She pointed Beautiful Disaster's tip at Kairi and muttered, "Cure." New skin grew over the cuts, leaving Kairi only with some bruises and dried blood on her body.

Kairi smiled. "Thank you."

"You taught me well," replied Katalin, easily returning the smile. Her eyes caught Darcie's figure via her peripheral vision. Darcie hadn't moved, hadn't spoken, but simply stared at where Maleficent had been.

Naminé pressed her hands together. "We have to seal the keyhole, remember?" She prompted the others, managing to shake even Darcie out of her thoughts. She held out a hand and swirling black and purple darkness appeared beyond it.

They quickly filed into the portal with Naminé leading the way. As she followed after Katalin, barely paying attention to her surroundings, Darcie's mind was entirely filled with Maleficent's words. Marluxia was drawn to her. Maleficent had admitted to being drawn to her...

What exactly was drawing them?

Someone -- Kairi, she realized -- pushed her, not all that roughly, after Naminé and Katalin. They appeared in what looked like a dark dungeon that smelled like rotting... Well, Darcie didn't want to place the smell. "The dungeon. Now, where do you think a talking mirror could possibly be?" asked Darcie, more or less in a way to get her thoughts on a new track.

"If the Queen is constantly talking to the Magic Mirror in order to ensure she is the 'fairest one of all', then I would guess it's in her bedroom," offered Naminé. **(A/n: I have no clue where that place is where she keeps it, so... Oh well! :D) **

Kairi rubbed her temples. "I'm sure it'll be really _easy _to get in her bedroom..."

"You wanna get in the Queen's room?" a voice from somewhere in the darkness hissed, surprising the four of them. They turned but couldn't find the source of the voice until the person stepped up to the bars of his cell.

They hesitantly approached the man's cell. In the mostly dark dungeon, they couldn't see much of the man aside from the crazed look in his dull eyes and the long, shaggy dark hair on his head "Yes. Do you know the way?" asked Kairi slowly.

He nodded his head furiously, sending hair flying every which way. "I used to be a guard, here. Used to be in charge of making sure no one got in her room, but, you know. That wicked ol' bitch... She didn't trust no one once she found out about the Huntsman's betrayal. A good lad, you know? He didn't go quickly, either. I bet his body is still--"

"Sidetracked details aside, where's the Queen's room?" demanded Darcie, knowing no one had the stomach to hear which medieval torture weapon had been used on the poor man. The man gestured for her to come closer, so she did. She put her face to the bars, and her ear to his lips.

"There are spies everywhere, you know. She uses her magic to bewitch things in order to spy on everyone, to destroy everyone," murmured the man, before dropping his voice to a whisper so that even Darcie had a hard time hearing his words. She nodded and pulled away. "If you destroy her, will you come back for me?" He asked of them.

Startled, Kairi glanced at the others. "Well, sure. But we were hardly planning on destroying her..."

"Really?" asked the man, his eyebrows shooting up his forehead. "Well, I guess you wouldn't have much luck, at any rate. Word has been whispered that she's going to finish what she started with the Huntsman."

Darcie winced somewhat. "I'm guessing that you don't mean that she's going to go finish off Bambi."

The prisoner looked at her strange. "Who's that?"

"Doesn't matter," murmured Katalin. "Snow White. She's going after Snow White?"

He nodded. "Yes, so if she is a friend of yours, then I suggest you go help her."

"We better go find that keyhole and hurry back to the cottage."

**XxxxxX**

Despite the brightness of the sun, once they entered the forest (via a gate that had to be opened by Way to Dawn), they were plunged into almost complete darkness. Amusedly at first, Riku followed after Sadi and Shawn who were relentlessly flirting with each other. Heartless began to appear the instant the gate closed behind them and they were a few steps into the forest. Sadi was able to take care of the Heartless relatively easily by delivering swift kicks and punches to them, making Shawn even more attracted to her. After ten minutes of wandering in the darkness and destroying an ample amount of Heartless, Riku shouted, "Enough. Sadi, I'm tired of humoring you. Who are you exactly?"

Sadi smiled innocently, her grip around Shawn's suddenly like a vise. "Whatever do you mean, Riku?"

Riku scowled. "I'm not as naïve as Shawn; you _wreak _of darkness. Who are you?"

"Sadique. Sadi for short," she paused, her jade eyes gleaming with sadism. "You never met me, but you've seen pictures, haven't you? I'm pretty disappointed that you haven't committed me to memory."

A cruel smile twisted at the corners of Riku's lips. "You're anything but memorable."

Sadi's features twisted, making her look insane. With her vise grip still on Shawn, darkness briefly engulfed her body. When the darkness cleared away, Riku found himself face to face with a more familiar woman. Her blond hair was now paler with two strands curved like antennae, and her jade eyes were darker. She was dressed in a long black jacket instead of a long dress. "Larxene. Who did you have to threaten to make you look almost appealing?" wondered Riku.

Small knives were held between the fingers of her left hand in the second that it took Riku to blink. Before he had time to react, the knives were thrown at him with less than expert precision. A few of them grazed his skin, but the rest missed and his the trunk of a nearby tree. "Dempsey is a rather gifted sorcerer, if I do say so myself," she growled angrily, but her eyes were glinting with amusement. "If you had an idea that I wasn't who I said I was, then why did you let yourself be led to this forest?" Shawn felt a biting pain in his side and realized that Larxene was piercing some of her knives into his skin just a little.

"Because I was pretty sure that Sora wouldn't be too happy if I let Shawn pull a Hansel," replied Riku simply. "And I'm thinking Katalin might have been just a little bummed if I just stood by and let it happen."

A small smile twitched at the corners of Larxene's lips. "If this nice little toy is Hansel, then would you be Gretel? You could surely resemble her..."

Riku rolled his eyes, not taking the bait. "I overheard a few things about you while in Castle Oblivion, Larxene. Is it true that your personality is as ugly as, well, you?"

The small knives formed horizontal cuts on Shawn's waist as Larxene yanked her arm away from him and surged toward Riku. She delivered a swift punch to Riku's face, but she was easily blocked by Way to Dawn. "So you're the _faster _of the two, hm?" mused Larxene before pulling back a few inches.

Knowing to whom she was comparing him to, Riku remarked, "I'm also stronger, but don't tell him that." He swiped forward with Way to Dawn, but Larxene had disappeared. Riku glanced around wildly, but he couldn't find Larxene anywhere. Shawn still seemed to be shocked that the woman he had fallen for in five seconds flat had turned out to be a sadistic Nobody.

The cold points of knives suddenly touched the back of Riku's neck, making bumps appear on his skin as his hair rose on end. "Hmm. Fast, but not fast enough, Riku. So sorry," Larxene's voice hissed in his ear. A spark of electricity shot from the tips of her knives, and his consciousness slipped away. **(A/n: I did this once in my first KH story, and I'm reinstating the same old rule. It didn't kill Riku, and I don't care if it could irl. :3) **Once Riku was on the ground, Larxene turned back toward Shawn with a playful smile on her lips. "Shawn, you haven't summoned your keyblade yet. Does that mean you trust me?" asked Larxene with her head slightly cocked to the side. The knives were still clenched between her fingers, but she looked much more docile without Riku's interference.

And, for whatever reason, Shawn found himself unable to find the strength to call his keyblade. Even stranger was that he still felt attracted to Larxene. She took a few steps toward him. Once she was within a few feet of him, she put one hand to her elbow while she placed the index finger of her other hand to her temples. "Maybe it's like the situation with Marluxia. Situation, because it can be called nothing more than that," huffed the Nobody. "At any rate, Shawn, I've wanted to talk to you. So let's talk. Obviously you trust me, so come closer. I promise not to hurt you."

Neither of them noticed the raven with magenta around its yellow eyes surveying them from the safety of a nearby tree, shadowed in darkness.

**XxX**

When Belle, Adam, and Sora arrived back in the Ballroom, they found someone else already waiting for them. Someone who was flanked by two Organization XIII members. Kingdom Key instantly flashed into Sora's hand. The two Organization members were facing them, but the other man was facing the balcony doors. "Sora, it's been far too long," remarked the man with an eye patch over his right eye with a California surfer accent. His long black and gray hair was tied in a ponytail. Sora was quite sure that he could have likely pretended to be one of Adam's servants and not have been questioned all that much.

The other Nobody made Adam growl, a very inhuman noise that Sora was quite sure only Adam could do. He had long, dark dreadlocks which made a sharp contrast with his bright blue eyes. "Oh, Beast. To be human again. Well, at least one of us has gotten that goal accomplished, hm?" His english accent held a rough edge to it.

"Xaldin..." Adam trailed off. Even though Sora had caught them up on what was going on, seeing Xaldin again was a vigorous shock to his system. He unconsciously stepped in front of Belle.

"If numbers two and three from the Organization are here, then number one must be the third one with them," remarked Sora with gritted teeth. He was quite sure that within the period of a couple more days, he would see all of the Organization XIII once more.

The third man chuckled as he turned toward them. Since his hood was still up, the only thing visible on his person were his piercing, sky blue eyes. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough to tip off Sora as to whom the man was. "Dempsey, right?" asked Sora.

Dempsey nodded his head. "Oh, yes. Very good, Sora. Now, step aside. The adults have a great need for the Princess, Belle." The metal of Adam's sword chimed in the air as he slid it out of its scabbard. "Ah, so it's going to be a fight, then?" He sighed dramatically. "I hoped to avoid this, but that is why I have two of the stronger, smarter Organization members with me."

"Why? Do you need protection because you're too weak?" demanded Sora.

"Keyblade Master, you are not half as daunting as you seem to think you are," mentioned Dempsey with a smirk in his voice. Xigbar and Xaldin chuckled, and Sora knew it was not out of respect of his authority. "You keyblade wielders are all foolish. At this moment, Larxene has led your other two friends into the forest..."

Sora winced; Sadi had seemed familiar to him for a reason. Still, he had no doubt in his mind that Riku and Shawn were more than capable to take care of themselves. "And she'll fade into darkness as soon as they figure out who she is," remarked Sora with somewhat forced assurance.

"What's wrong, Sora? Don't you trust those two, those... friends of yours?" asked Xaldin with raised eyebrows.

Sora refused to answer verbally, deciding to use Kingdom Key to give them all the answers they wanted. He rushed at Xaldin, but was cut off by Adam, so he went after Xigbar instead. Dempsey folded his arms and took a few steps backward as he surveyed the battle with interest. Belle was watching them with a mixture of fear and anger of being left out, again. When she felt Dempsey's eyes on hers, she glanced at him nervously. He walked between the feuding groups without receiving so much as a glance from either Sora or Adam as he made his way toward Belle.

"So, Princess, do you choose to make this easy or hard?" he asked once he was standing directly in front of her. Without batting an eyelash, Belle hurled her opened palm toward his face. Dempsey caught it with ease and held it immobile. "Ah. The hard way."

**XxxxxX**

Keeping their bodies pressed to the walls and occasionally using Naminé as a distraction (by having her run down the halls and pretend that she was a ghost), Darcie, Kairi, and Katalin successfully found the Queen's room without getting stopped by a guard or the Queen herself. Not that they had to worry about the Queen, what with her heading to the Dwarfs' cottage to kill her step-daughter. One keyblade hadn't been able to unseal the door, but three had done the job easily enough.

Once inside the room, they found the mirror with ease. After all, how could one miss the emerald, gleaming piece of glass with a red velvet carpet leading from it? When they stopped in front of the mirror, a hovering green mask that looked like it had come straight from _The Mask_ appeared. "My Queen, I have already _informed _you..." He trailed off when he noticed the four girls before him certainly were not Her Evilness. "Ah, forgive me, young maidens."

"Are you really some magical being?" wondered Darcie with her eyebrows furrowed together and the slightest hint of skepticism in her voice.

The mirror-being shook his head. "It is unimportant."

"Your Queen wouldn't have happened to mention where the keyhole for this world is, did she?" asked Kairi. As soon as the words left her mouth, Oathkeeper was tugged forward by an invisible force as a keyhole shape gleamed in the center of the mirror. A beam of bright white light shot from the tip and sealed the world with an audible click.

Katalin blinked. "Well, that was easy."

"Easier than a--" Darcie began, but was cut off by Naminé holding up a transparent hand.

"Just don't, Darcie," she mumbled although she giggled right after. It was strange, but she felt extremely connected to Darcie and Katalin. Almost more so than to Kairi, but in a different way.

Darcie shrugged, grinning. "You knew what I was going to say. The desired effect has been achieved. Anyway. Next stop, hindering the wicked bitch from slaying a Princess of Heart!"

**XxX**

Snow White's good-hearted, naïve nature made her allow the old, hunched hag into the cottage. The hag followed her into the kitchen with a bright red apple held in her outstretched hand. "Try it, my dear. Just a bite," she beckoned of the young princess.

And, again, Snow White's nature had her take the apple from the witch's hand although she was stopped in mid-movement by someone else snatching the apple from the hag's hand. The woman who took the apple was much taller than both the hag and Snow White. "No, my dear Grimhilde. I apologize, but I cannot allow you to kill a Princess of Heart."

Gasping, Snow White backed away from the two witches and pressed herself against the wall in an attempt to appear inconspicuous. The hag's form peeled away to reveal the evil Queen's. She scowled at her apparent friend. "Maleficent, I refuse to allow you to stand in my way. I _must _be the fairest of this land."

Maleficent effortlessly glided her hand through the air and smacked it into the side of the Queen's face. "Some things are more important than your vanity. Much more important."

* * *

**A/n: Sadique is indeed French. If you can't guess what it is French for, then you should look it up. It's appropriate for multiple reasons for Larxene but, again, you'll have to look that up. x3 Not much to say except to please review. Until next chapter. :D**


	14. Mysteries

**Chapter Fourteen:**  
Mysteries

**A/n: Ooh. My chapter count has been off because I had two chapter fours early in the story... My bad. I'll go back and fix those in due time. xD Last chapter had more comic relief than I intended. Oops. I bet the same could be said of this chapter.**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Kingdom Hearts, any characters from **_**Beauty and the Beast **_**or any characters from **_**Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. **_

_'Tell me it's you or nothing at all._

_'Cause I stole your soul;_

_you said I'd never be able._

_But all the whole world's still on my string.' _

**-"This is Twice Now" by Lydia**

**

* * *

  
**

Shawn watched as the portal of darkness misted away to nothing in the air although he gazed at it longingly. Following Larxene was the better alternative to... His eyes dropped to Riku's still unconscious form. He prodded Riku in the stomach with his shoe. Riku's eyes did not open immediately, but his mouth did. "Shawn, you are the sorriest excuse for a keyblade wielder that I've ever seen."

"Isn't that a little bit of a harsh judgement, Riku?" replied Shawn through gritted teeth. "How long have you been listening?" he added with such nervousness that Riku opened his eyes and raised his eyebrows.

"All I heard was you exchanging your goodbyes with Larxene instead of, you know, beating the shit out of her," answered Riku as he sat himself up on his elbows. "Guilty conscience, Shawn?"

Shawn earnestly shook his head. "Of course not," he mumbled in a barely audible whisper. "Anyway, we should probably get back to the Castle and make sure that Sora and the others are alright."

Riku nodded his agreement as he pushed himself off of the ground. As they headed in the direction of the looming Castle, a tree behind them rustled as a bird took to the sky, but they ignored it. What was to be earned by watching a bird take flight?

The raven in question soared upward until it was over the dead forest. It glided through the air, flapping its wings every few moments, and effortlessly flew into the Ballroom via the balcony's open doors. It soared up, to the very top of the room, and landed on the Chandelier. The action below made its movements impossible to hear.

Sora jumped backwards and raised Kingdom Key in order to block another onslaught of lasers from Xigbar's Gun Arrows. "Sora, I'm disappointed. This is a lot less fun than last time," remarked the Nobody as he shouldered one of his weapons. "Should we kick things up a little?"

"Only if you're eager to fade away again," replied Sora breathlessly. He was more than a little disappointed in himself for getting so exhausted early in the fight. It wasn't even like he was out of practice. Maybe Xigbar was just... stronger. Maybe that was because of Dempsey.

_Dempsey_. Of _course_. Sora turned in time to find said man hurl Belle against one of the pillars. He ignored Xigbar and started after Belle. Adam noticed Belle, shouted something incoherent, and stared away from Xaldin. Xaldin swung one of his lances at Adam and knocked him toward the balcony, in the opposite direction, before summoning a barrier.

Roaring something else incoherent, Adam rushed at Xaldin with his sword. A smile twitched at the corners of Xaldin's lips. Just as Adam reached him, the cutting, protective wind of Aera appeared around Xaldin, damaging Adam something fierce.

Sora jumped up and swung Kingdom Key down at Dempsey's shoulder. "Leave Belle alone!" A magical shield rose over Dempsey's body and knocked Sora away.

"I am a most renowned sorcerer, Sora. Surely you do not expect my defenses to be so open?" murmured Dempsey as blue lightning shot out of his hand. Belle groaned and fell to the ground as her eyes closed. Satisfied, Dempsey turned toward Sora. Sora was hunched over in his battle stance, but, before he could move forward, both Gun Arrows were suddenly at the back of his head. Dempsey waved Xigbar away. "Let me have my fun with the Keyblade Master, Xigbar. Why don't you return to Headquarters?"

Xigbar shrugged lightly as he shouldered one of the Gun Arrows. With the other, he shot at Sora's foot. "Because being there is no where near as fun as being here, but," he paused and his weapons disappeared, "I'll bite. Sayonara, Sora." He disappeared into a portal as a barrier rose around Dempsey and Sora.

"Come, Sora. Let me see what power you truly hold," said Dempsey as his falchion suddenly appeared in his hand.

**XxxxxX**

Even though they were able to cut time in half by using a portal to get back to the Cottage, they knew it was too late by the time they appeared in the yard. The door was flung wide open, there was absolutely no wildlife near the house, and everything was too silent. With their keyblades in hand, Katalin, Kairi, and Darcie started toward the house, but Naminé stopped them. "I don't think heading inside is the best idea, do you?" she asked, biting lightly down on her lip. "Snow White said that we could find her in the kitchen. Isn't the kitchen's window just around the corner of the house?"

They had to agree that Naminé's plan was certainly the safer of the two, so they ducked somewhat and headed around the side of the house. The smell of a freshly baked pie reached their noses and, sure enough, they found it sitting on the windowsill. As quickly as it appeared to them, it was gone as a woman's hand reached out and grabbed it. They heard the metallic ring of a pie pan and assumed that the woman had either dropped or thrown it.

As if she sensed their presence, she poked her head out of the window and smiled grimly. "Ah, the others. Maleficent told me that you would return, if only because of your promise to my step-daughter. My _darling _step-daughter. I trust you sealed the keyhole to this world, then?"

Darcie nodded. There was really no point in trying to hide it. If Queen Grimhilde planned on unsealing the keyhole again, then they could deal with her easily. The Queen's form abruptly disappeared from the window and reappeared directly before them. "It's just as well. The last thing I want to deal with is Heartless roaming around my kingdom. Maleficent is a good acquaintance, but I would never risk myself to help her." A smile appeared on Darcie's lips because, somehow, she found herself unsurprised to hear the Queen's words.

"At any rate," continued Queen Grimhilde, "Maleficent would not allow me to kill that fair Snow White, not that I have to deal with her being the fairest of the land if she is gone from this world." Kairi, Katalin, and Darcie's hearts sank at the news. Snow White had not been killed, but captured by Maleficent, as promised. "But she told me that the four of you would be named as such in her place. Well. Perhaps two of you," she added, her eyes on Kairi and Katalin. "But not based on looks. Based on your hearts. However, Maleficent forbade me killing anyone but you." Queen Grimhilde's eyes only held Katalin's now. "The spare. That much I am fine with."

Kairi took a few steps forward. "But we're going to leave _right now_. There's really no point in us sticking around with Snow White gone and the keyhole killed. You don't have to kill anyone..."

Queen Grimhilde held up a silencing finger. "That may be true, but Maleficent also reminded me that I have a... Ah, debt to repay. I can do this much for her, then, I'm thinking."

"'The spare'?" repeated Katalin, her eyes narrowed as her fingers toyed with the quartz heart hanging around her neck. "What exactly does that mean?"

The Queen cackled. "Exactly what it sounds like, my dear," she replied as darkness engulfed her body. The darkness flew off of her like a breeze, divided around Katalin, and pushed away the other three as a barrier rose up.

The only time Katalin had fought by herself, aside from her dreams, had been when she had first gotten her keyblade, but that had been against mostly minor Heartless. Katalin tightened her grip on Beautiful Disaster until her knuckles turned white. She planned on showing Queen Grimhilde exactly what "the spare" was capable of.

**XxxxxX**

Several things occurred in the Ballroom as a ball of purple fire knocked Sora into another pillar in the room. The doors were thrown open as Shawn and Riku entered, a little bloodied up but no worse for wear, more than surprised to see the chaos in the room. "Belle, guys. Help Belle," Sora managed to croak as he wiped some blood off of his mouth with the back of his hand.

As they rushed toward Belle, a green and black fire rose before them. The raven perched on the chandelier croaked and flew down, gracefully landing on Maleficent's arm as her form became solidified. Maleficent gently stroked the raven's head with her middle and index fingers. "Good, Diablo. I am sure that you have much to tell me, but not here. After we take care of the second Princess of Heart."

"Second?!" demanded Shawn who was brandishing Eye of Truth in a threatening manner.

Maleficent side-glanced at him with somewhat of an amused expression. "Yes. Snow White has been secured. And I see that you, Dempsey, have made my job here much easier. For that, I thank you."

Dempsey turned away from Sora and narrowed his eyes at the witch. The barrier audibly shattered as he strode toward her. "Maleficent, you will leave to me what is mine," he growled.

"She is not your property, fool," she hissed. The amused smile quickly returned to her lips as her eyes widened. "But, isn't it amusing that I can be far more victorious than you despite the fact that I do not have twelve people to follow me?"

Dempsey scowled as an orb of darkness appeared between his two hands. "I am warning you, Maleficent... Wait. Did you say that you only took one Princess of Heart from that world, that... Snow White's Cottage?"

"Indeed it is," agreed Maleficent, her smile slipping away as her expression became puzzled. "Why?"

A smile twitched at the corners of his lips, and the dark magic faded as soon as it appeared. "No reason, my dearest adversary. You have won this fair enough. Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers."

When Riku made a move to stop Maleficent from picking up Belle, Dempsey flicked his wrist and a whip made of darkness knocked Shawn and Riku away from the witch. Rightfully suspicious, Maleficent picked up Belle's unconscious form and draped her over one arm. "I do not know what it is that you are up to, sorcerer, but I expect that I will in due time," she stated as she gave the arm with Diablo a light twitch. Without another word, the green and black flames engulfed her once more and she disappeared.

Dempsey jumped backwards a great distance when Riku lashed out with Way to Dawn. The barrier Xaldin had been holding disappeared and a rather bloodied Adam fell to the ground. "Do not worry yourselves, keyblade wielders, we will meet again soon enough. It sounds like your Princesses of Heart lucked out when they met with Maleficent."

"I'm sure Naminé separated herself from Kairi so that Maleficent couldn't get them both at the same time. And, if she did that, then I'm sure Maleficent decided to take what she could get, for the time being. That person being Snow White. Sounds like you and the Organization are falling a little behind, though," pointed out Riku.

"Or are we?" replied Dempsey in a mysterious tone. "Enjoy your breathing time for now, boys, because it will not last for long." He snapped and both he and Xaldin disappeared into portals.

A small smile appeared on Sora's lips as he glanced over at Riku and Shawn. "I guess Xigbar'll be disappointed. Once he left, all of the action happened."

Adam groaned, and the three of them ran over to join him. "Cura," murmured Sora with Kingdom Key's tip pointed at the man.

"Wh-what happened?" asked Adam as he put one hand to his head. His blue eyes trailed over to where Belle had been before, then snapped back to Sora. "Belle. Where's Belle?" Sora wasn't sure if he had ever him sound more nervous than angry before.

Sora shook his head slowly. "Adam, I'm so sorry, but Maleficent got her."

"Maleficent?" growled Adam. "When did she get here?"

"It was all very chaotic," replied Shawn. "They played 'finders keepers'... And Maleficent took Belle." When Sora shot him a sharp glare, Shawn fell silent. He didn't have the delicate touch that both Riku and Sora seemed to have inside them.

"Adam, I promise that we'll bring Belle back, safe and sound."

Adam slowly pushed himself off the ground and shook his head. "No. I'll find her again, just like I did the first time."

"Even if your heart can lead you to her a second them, there's no way that you can save Belle and live. Stuff is different this time around, particularly since you're human again. Let us take care of it; we'll save her, Adam," reassured Riku with an intense look burning in his seafoam eyes.

At first, Adam looked like he was either going to hit Riku or yell. Surprisingly enough, he did neither, only nodded slowly. "Fine. Fine," he repeated in a softer, weaker voice. "As soon as you find her, bring her back to me. I swear I'll do better to protect her next time." His hands curled into dropped his hand on Adam's shoulder. "We'll see you soon. I promise."

**XxxxxX**

Although darkness had completely engulfed Queen Grimhilde's form, Katalin could somehow tell that the majority of the darkness was originating from the ruby brooch on her cloak. Either that, or heart. If it was her heart, then Katalin knew she would have to somehow stab her through the heart to stop her, which she was less than eager to do. Katalin rushed forward, avoiding the spurts of darkness that the Queen was summoning. Once she was within a couple feet of her, the Queen held together her hands and a bolt of purple lightning shot from them. With wide eyes, Katalin stopped somewhat before getting too close to the Queen, but the bolt of lightning knocked her into the back of the barrier and caused a lot of damage nonetheless. The top of her orange shirt was torn somewhat.

Katalin pushed herself up and decided to formulate a plan instead of rushing blindly into battle. "Katalin!" cried Naminé from outside of the barrier. Blinking, she turned back to face the Nobody. "Use your light!"

"My... light?" repeated Katalin.

Naminé nodded earnestly. "Everyone has light within their hearts. Use yours to cut through the Queen's darkness!"

With newfound determination, Katalin nodded and turned back toward the Queen. "But... how do I use my light?"

Naminé's hands were shaking as she pressed them together. Kairi wasn't sure if it was out of nervousness or if Naminé was fading in and out of existence. "Just believe in yourself. Trust yourself. You can do it!" replied Naminé with a confident smile.

Katalin closed her eyes and grasped her heart with her left hand. _'Light. Come on, light.' _She thought of her childhood, of all things pure, of her uncle... Something warm began to coarse through her veins. At first, she wasn't sure what it was, but she allowed Beautiful Disaster to disappear as she held out both hands. "Light!" she cried out instinctively.

A large burst of light exploded from her hands and rushed toward Queen Grimhilde, who concentrated her darkness in a last ditch effort to overcome Katalin. At first, it looked like they were evenly matched with neither the light nor the darkness overtaking the other. Katalin gave her light an extra push and it easily overcame the darkness, pushing through it and engulfing the Queen.

Queen Grimhilde's scream of pain made their ears want to explode, but it only lasted a moment as the darkness faded away and the woman fell to her knees. The barrier broke and the girls rejoined each other once more. "You did it!" remarked Darcie, lightly punching Katalin's arm.

She smiled. "I really did," she replied with a remarkable amount of surprise.

The Queen slowly shook her head. "Do you... you fools really think that you haven't beaten... _me_? No, no... I will not give in so easily..."

"Just give it up, Queen Grimhilde. You're finished," stated Kairi with Radiant Destiny threateningly pointed at the fallen Queen.

Instead of replying, the Queen reached into her cloak and pulled out a vial of some sort. "I will show you who is finished." She threw back her head as she poured the olive green contents of the vial down her throat. Darkness engulfed her body once more, but this time her body began to change and grow.

The girls fell back as one as they found a giant anaconda of gargantuan length hovering way above them. The snake's purple skin had black blotches on it. Its underside was as black as the spots. Perhaps the most attention-grabbing part of the snake Grimhilde were the red stripes on either side of the narrow head. "What is this...?" trailed off Kairi as she stared at the anaconda with true terror reflected in her dark violet eyes.

"This Queen must be quite the witch; I'm guessing she makes potions in her spare time," murmured Darcie with her grip painfully tight on Noir's Blossom's hilt.

"A snake?! Let's get out of here, Vexy!" cried the terrified voice of a man.

They turned at the new voice and spotted a golden blond man with quite the extreme mullet staring at the Grimm Snake with a terrified look in his cyan eyes. Another man with long, greasy light blond hair rolled his eyes at the blond. "Do not be such a coward, Number IX. We have a job to do," he reminded the other man.

Demyx frowned at Vexen. "Do you not see that huge snake thing? I don't feel like being its lunch today, Vexy!"

"Number IX, if you do not help me, then I will have to inform the Superior that you are a traitor to our cause. What do you think he would do with you after that?" asked Vexen with a cruel smile as Demyx clenched Arpeggio, his sitar, with a tormented expression.

"Dance, water! Dance!" cried Demyx as he strummed wildly on the strings of his weapon. Water clones shaped as either musical notes or Demyx himself appeared and began to thwack Darcie and Kairi, pushing them away from Katalin and Naminé.

As Kairi and Darcie quickly became drenched in water from the clones, Vexen raised Freeze Pride and shot a blast of ice from it. Darcie quickly dodged the icy breeze, but Kairi, being distracted, became encased in the ice. "You Nobodies seem to think very highly of yourselves. Guess what? We have bigger fish -- well, snakes -- to fry than you," remarked Darcie as she made to rejoin Katalin and Naminé.

A barrier flashed in front of her face as she turned toward the other two. With her left hand balled into a fist, she turned back toward Vexen with her eyebrows raised. "I've decided that I really don't like you, so you're going first!"

In the meantime, Katalin tried to figure out a plan to take care of the Grimm Snake. On her own, she knew that she had a much smaller margin of success, but there was no way that she could walk away from the anaconda. Besides, if she did, it would probably only grab her and constrict her. Katalin recalled Beautiful Disaster to her hand and rushed at the snake. The Grimm Snake lifted its giant tail and swung at Katalin. She rolled to the side, then jumped up and grabbed it as the anaconda retracted it.

The Grimm Snake quickly wrapped the tail around Katalin's midsection and squeezed. Bad, bad idea on Katalin's part. She struggled not to scream, and managed to only cry out in extreme pain as the tail became tighter. Naminé's wide eyes stared at Katalin in shock before glancing back at Kairi, who was still frozen, and Darcie, who had just knocked Vexen into a tree. "Naminé, you have to do something!" shouted Darcie as she turned toward the Nobody after feeling eyes burning into her back. "Please, Naminé. Do _something_."

Naminé shook her head. "I can't do anything; I'm just a Nobody!"

Darcie glared at her somewhat. "Be optimistic because if Katalin is killed by that thing, then you're going to be the one who pays, got it?" She didn't mean it, not really, but she needed Naminé to attempt to try something to save Katalin. If Kairi could use a keyblade, then why couldn't her Nobody?

"Okay, I'll try," murmured Naminé before turning back toward the Grimm Snake. She closed her eyes and wished with all of her nonexistent heart that there was something that she could do. Anything. Sora and Kairi were both keyblade wielders. Roxas could wield a keyblade (two keyblades, but the second had nothing to do with Sora), so why couldn't Naminé? "I need something. A weapon. Come _on_..._" _

As Katalin cried out in pain, a little louder now, and Darcie began to try to tear apart the barrier in an attempt to get out, something beat inside of Naminé. Her eyes flew open and widened as her right hand became heavier. A relatively long keyblade was in her hand, in the shape of an elongated Nobody symbol. The guards were made up by the top of a heart, and the hilt was made up by the heart curving in. It stretched on until it reached the teeth which were the three spikes at the top of the Nobody symbol. The main color scheme of the keyblade was black and white. **(A/n: Look up the Nobody symbol. Stretch out the part between the spikes and the heart, flip it vertically, and you have the keyblade.) **A hint of gold was here and there on the keyblade.

The keyblade was solid, Naminé noticed with surprise, yet her hand didn't go through it. As her eyes travelled up to her hand, she realized why: her hand, all of her body in fact, was solid. She didn't question anything, and charged forward instead. Naminé climbed up the anaconda's tail and, while holding on with her left hand, slashed at the tail as hard as she could with her right. A bright flash of light emitted from the keyblade as she slashed _through _the tail, freeing Katalin and lobbing off part of the tail. Naminé jumped down as black blood gushed from the stump.

"This is... very good," remarked Vexen as he slowly pushed himself away from the tree and into a standing position. He eyed Darcie with an interested expression. "Perhaps I should take a piece off data from you..."

Darcie held Noir's Blossoms upwards, and a bolt of lightning exploded from the sky over Vexen, hitting him in the shoulder. "Touch me and I will kill you. Now, take down this damn barrier before I rid your sorry ass from existence."

Vexen grinned, showing his teeth as he did so. "Ah, I knew that there was a larger reason for Marluxia's attraction to you. That is quite fine; I'm sure we will meet again. Demyx, let's go." There was no response, so Vexen looked in the direction where Demyx was standing.

Or had been standing. "Oh, did I forget to mention? Your friend left you quite some time ago. I suggest you do the same," ordered Darcie with her eyes narrowed dangerously and her cheeks cherry red. Laughing in a way that made Vexen sound like an old man **(A/n: A shot at his very creepy japanese laugh...)**, Vexen summoned a portal which he bowed into as he disappeared.

The barrier finally broke, but Darcie didn't move to help Naminé and Katalin. Instead, she approached Kairi. Sora had given them a brief lesson on using magic, so Darcie tried to remember how to use the fire spell. When she did, she made sure to focus the fire into a ring rather than a single ball, and murmured, "Fire." The ring touched the ice encasing Kairi and shattered it with ease.

Kairi rang out her soaking wet hair and flashed Darcie a smile of appreciation. "Thanks."

Darcie nodded. "Don't mention it. Now, let's take care of that Queen once and for all."

"N-Naminé!" exclaimed Kairi, her face painted with surprise when they rejoined Katalin and Kairi.

Naminé touched the tip of her keyblade to Katalin's skin and recited, "Cure." A yellow blossom rose over Katalin's head and its green vines healed her completely.

Katalin pushed herself into a standing position. "I have no clue what happened, but I think we'd better worry about it later." They turned toward the Grimm Snake just in time to see it waver before falling.

"Yeah. Let's worry about running for now," remarked Darcie as she grabbed Katalin and the four of them ran in the opposite direction of the anaconda. As the snake's body became engulfed by darkness, Darcie felt her heart skip a few bits. So much exposure to the darkness in one day was starting to make it have a very potent effect on her...

And suddenly the snake's body was gone with its heart floating upward in the sky. "That was easy enough," Shawn stated with a large smile as he, Sora, and Riku stepped into view.

"I nearly had my ribs broken, yet you guys don't show up until _after _the fact?" demanded Katalin with a voice that would have sounded annoyed if she hadn't been so tired.

Kairi all but jumped into Sora's arms. "Sora..." She trailed off, her dark violet eyes boring intently into Sora's electric blue ones. Without another word, she pressed her lips to his. Katalin couldn't summon the energy to make a comment, only smile, and she was relatively surprised to find Darcie in the same situation.

Riku and Shawn passed the two lovebirds and joined Darcie, Katalin, and Naminé. "What happened?" asked Riku with a surprised look at Naminé.

"Yeah. You look terrible, Kat, Darc," added Shawn with a smirk.

Katalin hit him, but there was hardly any effort in it at all. Her eyes trailed down to her chest, to her ripped orange shirt, and she stared at claw-shaped scar. She kept expecting some sort of memory to return with the discovery of it, but nothing had resurfaced.

All she could find herself wondering was why the scar looked years old but had never been visible before the fight with Queen Grimhilde. "I'm so... I just want..." Katalin broke off and shook her head with the knowing that she couldn't form a coherent sentence.

Darcie stopped beside her and helped her up. "I know; I feel the same way." She ignored Shawn, who seemed surprised to find herself and Katalin all business, and asked Riku, "Can we go back to the Radiant Garden? I think we need more answers before we can do anything more." He nodded as Kairi and Sora joined them.

"We should rest up," agreed Sora, a blush on his cheeks, "and check out on the other princesses tomorrow, along with new worlds that might have one of the new princesses."

"Or Wakka and Tidus," offered Kairi, her cheeks the same color as her hair.

**XxxxxX**

Leon agreed to check Ansem the Wise's computer again for more hints about where the other princesses could be. No one really questioned Naminé's new appearance although Leon did appear mildly annoyed to actually have her taking up space now. The universe was too large to be trying trial and error when it came to discovering the worlds that they lived on. It was nighttime in the Radiant Garden, a good two days after they had left, apparently. The time difference made no difference to Riku, Naminé, Darcie, Katalin, or Shawn; they were all dead tired and only wanted to curl up in a nice warm bed. Sora and Kairi offered to join Leon, being no worse for wear from their journeys, which was surprising enough. Kairi had been assaulted rather badly by Maleficent, and Sora had faced some serious dark magic. Apparently, cure spells were enough for them to keep moving.

Or, at least, that's how they acted outwardly. The way they felt on the inside was a mystery to everyone but Riku, and he wasn't telling. Aerith showed Naminé to another room (Merlin seemed to have made the house rather large with his magic) while Darcie, Katalin, Shawn, and Riku moved upstairs as a group but split in half once Katalin and Darcie reached their rooms. As Darcie headed for hers, Riku grabbed her wrist. She glanced back at him with what would have been a stern look if she hadn't been so tired. "I need to talk to you," he told groaned somewhat. "Can't it wait until the morning?" The look in his eyes told her no, so she folded. "Alright. Come into my room, and we'll talk." Riku carefully closed the door behind him and locked it; her eyebrows shot up her forehead. "Riku, listen. You're hot and stuff, but you're not my type, so if what you want is s--"

"Calm down, I don't want anything like that from you," informed Riku calmly before sitting at the foot of her daybed.

She nodded lightly. "Alright, then. What?"

"Well, for one... What _is _your type? Marluxia?" he asked, jokingly. When she didn't reply, he raised an eyebrow. "I was kidding. He's a sadi--"

"I have a good idea of what he is, but that doesn't stop me from being turned on," Darcie murmured, revealing once again her nature of not mincing words.

Riku shook his head as he dropped his eyes to the floor. Darcie was relatively surprised at his lack of eye contact. He was not one who was normally easily intimidated, which he showed by staring into the eyes of whomever he was speaking to. Always. She had come to notice this about him. "Maybe it's that way with Shawn, then."

"Does Shawn have a crush on you?" asked Darcie without surprise. "Well, he did confess to stealing his sister's straightener, but his attitude isn't really..." She trailed off when she realized Riku was staring at her with an amused expression. "Ooh. He didn't come out to you and confess to being in love with you. 'Kay. So, what are you talking about?"

"Shawn acted oddly toward Larxene, even once she revealed herself. He fell in love with her almost immediately, which was weird enough, but the fact that she's an enemy of ours didn't bother him at all. He didn't even try to attack her. Not once," remarked Riku. It was the first time that he had said anything. Shawn hadn't mentioned it, and all he himself had mentioned was that Larxene (disguised as Sadi) had led them into the forest and knocked Riku unconscious.

Darcie bit down on her lip until she was sure it would bleed. "Maybe he just didn't know what to do. Maybe he was scared or something." She wasn't sure why she was protecting Shawn; she didn't like him. Maybe it had to do with the fact that he had shown an interest in Katalin, that he was, overall, relatively kind to her best friend.

Riku shook his head as he leaned back and stared at the ceiling. "Bold and brash Shawn, Darcie? I don't believe that, and I know you don't, either. What exactly happened in Snow White's world?"

"Oh, you know," she made her accent slightly Canadian, "Snow White got snatched, we sealed the keyhole, we got attacked by too many people to count, Naminé became solid... Everything normal and usual for a keyblade wielder."

**XxxxxX**

"The truth is revealed, then," murmured Dempsey as he took a few more steps down the sandy beach and stared at the setting sun over the water.

Xemnas narrowed his eyes at the other man. "I am starting to think that you do not have the best interests at heart for myself and the rest of my Organization."

A smile twitched at the corners of Dempsey's lips as the wind's breeze pushed the hood off of his head. "I have my plans. Xemnas, do you think that I would have allowed Maleficent to take the princess if I didn't have any other plan?"

"Perhaps," answered the Nobody. "But I will never know if you do not tell me what your plan is."

Dempsey chuckled. "Do not be foolish, Xemnas. You and your Organization of traitors cannot be trusted so easily." His blue eyes stared intensely at the colors reflected from the setting sun. For a moment, the yellow almost made his eyes appear green.

**XxxxxX**

It was not very strange for Katalin to find herself back on the tower in the midst of the dark, smokey atmosphere. In fact, she had seen the dream so many times that she had begun to see parts of it during the daytime when she blinked. Again, she was dressed in the long, white dress with the pink lines like veins stretching all over it. As she stepped into the middle of Sora's platform, she was slightly surprised that three platforms with a sword, shield, and staff did not rise again.

Beautiful Disaster flashed into her hand. That was right. Since she had the keyblade, she didn't have to choose between them any longer. As she stepped near where Kairi was depicted on the platform, a set of glass stairs appeared and wound their way further upward. Katalin tilted her head backwards and stared up at the room. She could still see the light filtering through the darkness, and she wondered if she followed the stairs (and even more flights) if she would reach the light. She wanted to know what was _in _the light. Call her curious.

As Katalin started up the stairs, white creatures she already knew to be Dusks appeared, like before. She slashed them away with Beautiful Disaster and continued, at a run, up the remainder of the steps. When she reached the next platform, it was different than it had been before. Naminé, dressed in the familiar black dress with white stripes (like veins), was in the middle of the platform. Two others were beside her, two people that Katalin guessed to be the other two princesses that led the realms of Darkness and Light. Their features were obscured by darkness and light, respectively. _'You cannot learn what you do not know.' _The bodiless voice informed her.

The voice was as familiar to Katalin as Darcie's or Kairi's, so she almost welcomed hearing it. Naminé did not appear on the middle of the platform surrounded by Dusks as she had before. Another flight of glass stairs appeared, and she followed them up without question. No Heartless or Nobodies appeared as she walked up them to the next tower. The next platform depicted her with her dress cut low enough for the scar to be visible. _'Perhaps it would pay for you to ask more questions, Katalin.' _

Without warning, the platform shattered and she hurled through the darkness, missing Sora and Naminé's platforms by miles. As she fell, her dress became blackened.

* * *

**A/n: That's that for this chapter. The name Grimm Snake is obviously a nod to the Grimm Brothers for obvious reasons. This chapter was really on the long side, so I apologize. o.x; Please review. Next chapter should be Spira!**


	15. Encounters

**Chapter Fifteen:**  
Encounters

**A/n: I know I don't have to worry about you guys listening to the song because even if you don't like the lyrics, it's very catchy. :D Another Darcie/Marluxia song. Heh. Enjoy!  
**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any characters from the Final Fantasy series. **

_'She moves through moonbeams slowly._

_She knows just how to hold me,_

_and when her edges soften, her body is my coffin._

_I know she drains me slowly; she wears me down to bones in bed..._

_Must be the sign on my head -- it says,_

_"Oh, love me dead!" '_

**-"Love Me Dead" by Ludo**

**

* * *

**The next morning, Leon reported that he had been unable to find any new information in Ansem's computer but promised to keep them posted. After a night of rest, everyone was ready to go visit a new world, but Sora had promised that they wouldn't be returning to the Radiant Garden anytime soon, so it would be a good idea for them to stock up on supplies. "I don't really believe that we're not coming back soon, but we should get some potions anyway," remarked Darcie, who was up surprisingly early.

Katalin nodded and mutely followed after Darcie, Naminé, and Shawn as they headed for the Marketplace. She had long given up on getting any true feedback on her dreams, so she decided to keep her most recent one to herself. Besides, it disturbed her in a strange way that she couldn't quite put words to. "Naminé, why are you coming along with us? You still look exhausted," she remarked as Naminé fell beside her.

Shawn kept on step with Darcie, and the two of them pulled ahead and started to talk in hushed tones. Naminé turned toward Katalin and smiled faintly. "I don't want to really have to answer any questions yet," she admitted.

"What kind?" wondered Katalin.

"You know. 'Why hasn't Roxas appeared yet?' kind of questions," sighed Naminé with true disappointment. Katalin knew from what Riku had told her that Naminé was a strange Nobody for more reasons than her powers: she seemed to possess emotions. Still, the way Naminé was speaking made her emotions sound so genuine.

Katalin nodded. She supposed that she could understand that. "It's nice to have someone to care about you, isn't it?"

Naminé blinked. "I thought that you and Shawn..."

"Shawn chases, apparently, whatever tail he can get, so I'm not too worried about him," replied Katalin almost in a growl. She shook it off. "He doesn't matter. Maybe he'll be happier with Larxene."

Naminé laughed, a surprisingly bitter sound. "_No one _is happy with Larxene. Besides, I can't imagine you wanting your friend to go to _her_. Larxene is..." She struggled to find the words to describe exactly what Larxene was.

"Awful, crazy, scary-looking?" offered Riku with a small grin as he appeared behind them. Naminé and Katalin jumped at his voice. "Naminé, I don't think what happened to you is a normal occurrance. Well, there's no thinking about it; I have no doubt that it's abnormal. The fact that you're still solid, even without a keyblade, is a wonder. You're likely the Princess of Heart from the Nobody realm; Roxas isn't."

She knew what he was saying, but it hurt to think that she could have an existence _without _Roxas. Instead, she said, "You think this is permanent."

Sora nodded. "We don't know why or how, but yeah. Not sure how that makes you a Princess of Heart from the Nothingness realm, but maybe Leon will find another report on it." He looked relaxed as he folded his arms behind his head.

"I thought you two were going to hang back?" asked Katalin.

Sora shook his head. "We're going to check out Land of Dragons."

Naminé raised her eyebrows. "Just the two of you?"

"We were going to bring Shawn along, but he seems to have a previous engagement," remarked Riku as he glanced in Shawn's direction. Darcie, wearing a murderous expression, had pinned Shawn against one of the brick walls.

"Tell me the truth, Shawn!" warned Darcie in a low, threatening voice. "Don't lie to me. _Don't_."Shawn pushed her away from him, or tried to. "Darcie, I don't think you know me well enough to threaten me."

"I _know _I don't because it seems to me that you, you little fuck, are not exactly who you're pretending to be." It was obvious that Darcie was struggling to contain both her temper and her voice to a low volume.

Riku, Katalin, Sora, and Naminé joined them. "What's going on?" demanded Sora although he wasn't using a forceful tone. Darcie and Shawn glanced at him as if he was nothing more than a minor annoyance.

"Nothing," answered Darcie as she released Shawn and inhaled deeply. "Nothing."

"Land of Dragons, right?" came Shawn's voice, slightly shaking with anger. "Okay. Yeah. Let's go."

Darcie turned toward Sora, her eyebrows furrowed. "What about the rest of us?"

"You, Kairi, and Katalin can go to Spira. I think it's a good idea to explore new worlds," he answered before glancing at Shawn. "But I also think that we need to cover more ground. Shawn, would you and Naminé be willing to go to check out Wonderland?"

Riku tried and failed to stifle a chuckle. "No one's ever willing to go to Wonderland."

Sora elbowed him somewhat. Naminé nodded. "Sure. Still, it would be a good idea to get some supplies, right?"

"Yeah," agreed Sora. "Shawn, you can go talk to Cid about teaching you how to pilot a Gummi Ship."

Shawn seemed more than eager to leave Darcie's presence, so he quickly rushed back to Merlin's house. "What about us?" repeated Darcie.

"Kairi already knows how to fly a Gummi Ship. Darcie, I'm sure you can take care of artillery. Katalin, you can just sit back and look pretty," stated Riku with a grin.

Katalin willed herself not to blush as she nodded her reply. "That sounds fair. Alright. Have a good time in the Land of Dragons."

"You know the drill. Search the world for any Princesses of Heart and seal the keyhole. After that, you can return to the Gummi Ship and send a transmission to us. If we don't pick up, then you can just choose another world to visit," informed Sora as he dropped his arms to his sides. "Have fun."

**XxX**

The Marketplace was bustling with shoppers when Darcie, Katalin, and Naminé arrived. Darcie groaned somewhat and shoved past a particularly slow-moving group of teenage girls. "I hate crowds. A _lot_," she muttered under her breath.

"That's why you like doing everything at night," said Katalin with a small smile.

Darcie inclined her head. "That's right," she agreed in a significantly softer voice. As they descended the stairs (slowly, because they had to wait for the people all around them to actually move) and reached the center of the Marketplace, they stopped near a fountain to decide what to do.

"We could split up," offered Naminé. "I have some munny, so it should be no problem."

Katalin nodded. It sounded like the logical choice to her. "Sure. Darc, I'll meet you by the Moogle synthesizing shop. Naminé... Have a fun trip with Shawn."

Naminé flashed her a brief smile before disappearing into the crowd. Darcie did the two-fingered salute before also getting engulfed by the crowd. "I'll cover the equipment!" she called to Katalin although she was no longer visible. Katalin stood near the fountain for another few moments as she looked for the items shop. When she spotted it, she started in that direction, but paused in mid-step when she heard something that sounded like swirling darkness.

Before she had a chance to turn in that direction, a strong gust of wind slammed her into the fountain, soaking her with water at the same time as her head cracked into its foundation. Katalin's vision swam, but even she could recognize the figure standing before her. "Marluxia, what do you want with me? Why would you show up in a heavily populated place?" She was unsatisfied to hear her words sounded weak.

A smile appeared on the Graceful Assassin's lips. It was the smile of a predator that had spotted its pray; Katalin wondered if he flashed that smile at everyone that wasn't in the Organization or commanding him. "The extra, confusing puzzle piece, Katalin. Are you really what you act to be: the same as Darcie?"

"I don't know what you mean. If you're asking me if I'm a girl, then there's no acting there: I am very much a girl," answered Katalin, her voice becoming stronger. She tried to stand, but she knew that she couldn't do it without hitting her head on the domed ceiling of the fountain. Marluxia was standing too close for her to move.

Yet, no one was panicking. It was almost like no one could see him. Katalin's eyes searched the crowd and found the person she was looking for: Darcie. "Darc! Darcie!" she cried.

Marluxia folded his arms and raised his eyebrows. The smile was still on his face. "Oh, none of them can hear you. Or see you. May as well conserve your energy for something else."

"What do you want from me?" she demanded.

"To die," replied Marluxia. "So long as you're alive, I can't have Darcie. So long as any of you are alive, I can't have her. And I _need _her. More than you know."

Katalin shook her head slowly. "You're not Marluxia."

"What would make you say that?" he replied, the smile slipping off his face as his eyebrows knitted together.

She pointed to another area of the Marketplace, at the top of a roof. "Because he's right there," she answered before kicking the imposter in the leg.

The imposter began to laugh. It was quiet at first, but it slowly became louder and crazier. "You are right. Very good of you, Kat, but it took you _so _long to catch on; I'm quite disappointed."

As the man fell back, Katalin quickly pushed herself out of the fountain. She fell forward a little, and she was soaking from her head to her toes. "Who are you?"

He flashed a brilliant smile, his eyes twinkling. "Wouldn't you like to know? My dear, I'm afraid to say that I have a previous engagement, and I do not have the time to help you out of here. I suppose you will have to help yourself..." A portal appeared a few feet behind him, and he walked in its direction.

"Here? What does that mean?" she shouted at his retreating back, but he only chuckled in response before disappearing into the portal. Her vision became cloudy with darkness at first, then fell away completely. It was the strangest sensation, but she felt like she was falling even though she was quite sure that she was standing. She felt like she was disappearing into the darkness. Most of all, she felt very tired...

Darcie and Naminé came running at Katalin's yells, and the curious crowd did not make a huge effort to allow them to get through. Shoppers stopped and stared at the girl as she convulsed and shouted, like she was having a nightmare. Marluxia disappeared into a portal and reappeared in front of Katalin just as Darcie and Naminé made it through the crowd. "Marluxia, what did you do?" demanded Darcie with instant suspicion as they approached him. Noir's Blossoms and Obsolete Nonexistence flashed into their hands.

"Why do you assume that I did anything?" wondered Marluxia. "I'm just waiting for what it is I want."

"We don't care what you want!" cried Naminé. She sent a sidelong glance at Darcie, and she suddenly knew what she wanted her to do almost instantly. Without speaking a word. If Darcie was surprised, then she didn't show it. The keyblades disappeared as they focused all of the power within their hearts...

A grey light shot from Kairi's hands, and a light that greatly outshone hers appeared from off to the side. Marluxia didn't cry out, like he was in pain; he cried out in ecstasy. All bystanders piled into nearby shops or pressed themselves against the walls in attempts to appear unimportant. When the light faded away, Marluxia looked like he was feeling better than before they had attempted to attack him. "What happened?" Darcie asked Naminé, but she looked just as bewildered as her. In addition to that, Katalin seemed to have come out of whatever it was she had fallen into, and Kairi, with her hands outstretched, was leaning over a wall of the Marketplace, standing near the synthesis shop.

Marluxia smiled, turning his head toward Kairi. "I knew there was something special about you. Lucky number seven." A portal appeared behind him, and he all but tripped over Katalin's body as he moved.

"I don't get what's going on, but..." Kairi trailed off before she jumped over the wall and landed on her feet and left hand while she held her right one out. "You're not going anywhere."

"I got what I came for," replied Marluxia as he picked himself back up and disappeared into yet another portal, leaving behind four very confused girls.

Kairi allowed Radiant Destiny to disappear as she joined the other three. "I came here to tell you that we were good to go, but now I'm not so sure."

"Me neither," murmured Naminé.

**XxX**

"I can't make sense of any of this," admitted Leon with obviously annoyance in his voice following Naminé and Darcie's explanation of what had happened. Katalin had also offered what had happened to her, but no one could even begin to think what had happened with her. "The report said that there were four other Princesses of Heart. He never mentioned that Kairi is the leading Princess of Heart from the light realm. He said there was another one."

Darcie shrugged lightly. "There isn't another explanation, Leon."

"Maybe that report was outdated," suggested Yuffie, who was throwing some sort of professional-looking tennis ball up and down in her hand.

Leon turned toward her with eyebrows raised. "Yuffie, where did you get that?"

She smiled sheepishly in response as she hid the tennis ball behind her back. Aerith hid a giggle behind her hand as Tifa lunged forward to take the tennis ball back from the ninja. "Yuffie... did you _steal _this?" demanded Tifa incredulously.

"Why would she steal something so... insignificant?" Naminé wondered aloud.

Shawn grinned. "For the adrenaline rush that comes along with it?"

Cloud ran a hand through his soft, spiky blond hair as he entered the room from the kitchen. "That, and Yuffie's a little bit of a kleptomaniac." He easily caught the ball with one hand as Tifa hurled it behind her without discretion.

"A little?" repeated Aerith, still fighting down a giggle.

"A hopeless klepto," agreed Cid as he spat a dark green, almost back, substance on the floor.

Aerith promptly narrowed her eyes at the ex-pilot. "Cid, didn't I tell you to quit the chewing tobacco?"

Cid blinked. "Uh. Huh?"

Kairi shook her head. "Leon, if you figure out anything, anything at all, contact us. In the meantime, we should go check out Spira."

"And we'll go to Wonderland," added Shawn as he stood up. As Aerith's temper peeked, absolutely everyone seemed more than ready to leave the scene. Or what _would _be the scene.

**XxxxxX**

Kairi was a better pilot than even Sora. She kept her eyes on the road at all times and never came close to hitting a single meteor, unlike Sora who could charge into one wherever his eyes were. It helped that Darcie was extremely talented with the artillery. When she wasn't shooting at the Heartless or Nobody ships, she was taking out large meteors in the distant that posed a threat to their ship. They had gotten one of Cid's better ships while Shawn and Naminé were stuck with a bit of a junker.

Apparently, Naminé was also gifted with the artillery. "I would've never expected someone as fragile-looking as her to be such a beast when it comes to weaponry," admitted Shawn quietly over the transmission.

He had spoken a few times, and Darcie had yet to make a single remark to any. Whatever had occurred between them had made her take up a vow of silence when it came to Shawn. And she wasn't telling what had happened between them, either. "We're here, guys. We'll talk to you soon," promised Naminé.

"Don't let Shawn feed you to the Heartless or anything, Naminé. If you get the chance to do it to him, though, don't hesitate. We actually want you back," stated Darcie, speaking for the first time since take-off. Shawn kindly replied with a string of curse words, at which point Kairi announced that they had also arrived at their destination.

Before the transmission clicked off, Shawn said, "Don't worry about me, Darc. I think Kat's the one that needs to be watched."

Katalin scowled. "So a couple of Hook Bats got caught in my hair in order to distract me from a Neoshadow. That could happen to _anyone_. Right?" she added to Kairi and Darcie. Both girls shook their heads.

Darcie sympathetically patted Katalin's back. "It's okay, Kat. You're sort of a klutz when it comes to certain things..." At her best friend's death glare, she added, "Kidding, kidding. I'm clumsy too, remember?"

Katalin tugged her hair with both hands. "Go ahead, say it. 'But only you could get Heartless stuck in my hair.'"

To save herself from answering, Darcie busied herself with shooting other enemy ships that were flying near them.

**XxxxxX**

"We haven't seen anyone here, Sora, I'm sorry," apologized Mulan. She was standing outside of the palace with Sora, gazing without seeing into the city. The Emperor had requested Riku's presence, however briefly, recognizing his voice and weapon from the previous visit he had paid a year previously.

Sora nodded slowly before turning and leaning against the railing. "Mulan, you remember what I told you about the other Princesses, right?"

Mulan nodded her agreement as she turned to face him. "I do. Why, Sora?"

He found himself unable to look at her as he asked, "Do you possess any strange qualities. Can you use darkness or light as a weapon?"

She slowly shook her head. "Darkness, I can't, no. Light... Well, I've never tried." Sensing how important this was for him, she closed her eyes and tried to channel her light. She found the light deep within her heart, but... she couldn't get it to so much as spark. Mulan reopened her eyes and smiled sympathetically at Sora. "I'm sorry, Sora."

Sora shook his head. "Don't be; I just thought it would be worth a try. You seemed like one of the best people to see about it. I guess we're going to have to try somewhere else."

Mulan put a hand on his shoulder. "What happens if you don't find these other princesses soon?"

Wearing one of the bleakest expressions she had ever seen on him, he answered, "Then Maleficent or Dempsey will, and they'll take over the worlds."

**XxxxxX**

After parking the Gummi Ship in an inconspicuous area, Darcie, Katalin, and Kairi exited out of the brush and found themselves standing on a beach. The sun already felt extremely warm, and they had just arrived. Kairi guessed that it was afternoon. "This is... beautiful," murmured Kairi as she stared into the water.

"Isn't it, though?" a male with a somewhat thick accent asked from behind them. They turned and Kairi sighed with relief. A redheaded man who appeared to be a few years older than them, wearing a blue band, and yellow vest that revealed his muscular chest was throwing a blue and white ball up and down in his hand. "Kairi, wait until Tidus finds out you're here!"

"Wakka, who brought you here?" demanded Kairi before shaking her head. "It doesn't matter. Take us to Tidus, and we'll take you home."

He shook his head. "Kairi, LuLu brought us here so that we could help Yuna." Yuna. The name rang in Katalin, Kairi, and Darcie's minds as someone familiar. Not someone they had met, but someone that they had heard of. They didn't say anything, for the time being.

"Oh, sorry. Wakka, this is Katalin and Darcie," introduced Kairi.

He smiled. "Nice to meet you. Here, I'll take you to LuLu; she can explain everything."

Wakka led them away from the beach, down a path that led to a less populated area. Trees and flowers were rising all around them; it was a truly beautiful area, an area to certainly rival the beach. A cyan river was to their right, and a forest to their left. Another part of the island was identifiable over the other side of the wide and deep river. The trees beside them rustled as they passed them. "Keep on your guard, ladies. The beasts here on Besaid aren't too friendly." Radiant Destiny, Beautiful Disaster, and Noir's Blossoms immediately appeared in their hands.

"Wakka, how do you fight against these... beasts?" inquired Katalin as they continued alongside the river. He threw the ball in the air in response. "You fight with that ball?"

Darcie raised her eyebrows. "Does that do any real damage?" Wakka stopped walking and turned towards her. Instead of answering, he chucked the ball at her as hard as he could. The ball hit her with a surprising amount of force and knocked her into the river. When Darcie resurfaced, she pushed her wet hair out of her face and scowled. "I didn't tell you to hit me!"

"How else was I supposed to show you?" replied Wakka, grinning. He jumped into the water after her and gestured for Kairi and Katalin to do the same. With heaved sighs on both accounts, they joined Wakka and Darcie in the water.

"Well, you didn't have to hit me," murmured Darcie as she treaded in the water. "Remind me why I bothered to straighten my hair and put on eyeliner?" she added to Katalin, who patted her arm in response.

Wakka grinned. "Follow me; I'll lead you to Tidus and the others."

"Kairi, if Tidus is anything like Wakka, then I might have to kill them both," warned Darcie as Wakka dove under the water. As he started further down the river, she shook her hair out of her face a second time before swimming after him.

**XxxxxX**

Shawn and Naminé faced little to no trouble until they reached the Bizarre Room. After downing the drink that would shrink them so that they could search Wonderland for Alice, Heartless began to appear. "Sora said that he sealed this world before," complained Shawn as Eye of Truth appeared in his hand.

Naminé shrugged a little. "Yeah, but that was a couple years ago. I guess that worlds can become unlocked... over time, or something. Or maybe that this is just the neighborhood Heartless," she offered.

"Whatever it is, I don't like it. We need to find someone who can tell us where to look for Alice," said Shawn as he jumped at a Red Nocturne. A Crimson Jazz appeared behind him, and large mines began to form behind him. "Or we could just get out of here, forget about Alice, and never come back."

"You complain too easily," mumbled Naminé, now seeing why it was that Shawn seemed to annoy absolutely everyone. After destroying a few Shadows, she turned toward the northwest corner of the room and noticed an entryway. "There. Let's go!" She ran toward the opening, and Shawn quickly followed her with some burns on his skin from the mines.

The area they next appeared in was a maze of hedges with many trees with roses growing in them. The roses seemed to be dripping red paint although, at first glance, it looked like blood. "I already like this place," stated Shawn in a way that made it impossible for Naminé to tell whether or not he was joking.

"Why did Darcie try to kill you earlier?" she asked abruptly, surprising him as they followed the maze of shrubbery.

Shawn shrugged somewhat. "Guess I just annoyed her too much."

But Naminé didn't believe him at all. "Those things that she said had almost nothing to do with being annoyed with your attitude. You're lying."

He raised an eyebrow as he gazed down at her. "And you're a little nosy, aren't you?"

"I just want to be sure that I can trust you," reassured Naminé as they reached a dead-end. "Now what?"

Shawn grinned in response. "We stop playing by the rules." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her after him as he pushed through the hedges. They continued to walk through the hedges until they were ordered otherwise.

"Hey! You! Stop that now!" exclaimed a woman of large stature. Her black hair was piled in a bun atop her head, just behind her small gold crown. She was dressed in a large black and red cloak with an upturned white collar that mostly obscured the gold and black dress beneath it. Her facial expression alone screamed 'bad temper'.

"You can't tell us to stop running through the hedges; you don't order us around," challenged Shawn, Eye of Truth still clenched in his hand. Naminé could have smacked her forehead. Even though neither of them had previously been there (although she had seen a memory of the Queen of Hearts while in Castle Oblivion), the crown alone said that she was royalty of some sort. That meant that, while in her world, they were to yield to her rule.

The Queen inhaled and pushed up her chest so that she looked even larger and more daunting than before. "Is that so? Well, to that I say: 'off with their heads!'"

"Now, now, dear," a short, redheaded man whose height came up to maybe the woman's knees approached them, tugging on the Queen's dress. "You know that you cannot do that. We must give them a trial first!"

Her face turned red, but she did not yell at the man. "Fine, fine. A trial it is. But make it quick! I want their heads to roll!"

"What a lovely world," remarked Naminé with forced cheeriness as black and red cards of various suits ushered them in a direction different from where they had been heading.

**XxxxxX**

The village where Wakka led them after a good deal of swimming was relatively small and not very highly populated. Their attention was almost immediately caught by the large, looming temple. Wakka didn't have to lead them inside any one of the small huts; a boy with blond hair that varied from extremely dark (almost brown) to the color of sand was already standing in the center of the village. He was wearing what looked like a pair of black overalls that reached a little past his knees (although one pant leg was much shorter than the other) with a short, open yellow jacket beneath it. A huge theme to his outfit seemed to be multiple zippers and chains. He didn't seem to notice them at first and was idly tossing a longsword up and down.

The sword was one of the most beautiful things -- let alone weapons -- that either of the three girls had ever seen. The blade resembled that of the water's surface, and it looked as such when the sunlight reflected on it. Tied at the end of the hilt appeared to be a red cloth of sorts. "'ey, Tidus, be careful with that thing, 'uh?" called Wakka with a grin.

Tidus snapped out of his reverie and looked for the source of the voice. When he spotted Wakka and Kairi, he ran to join them. "Kairi! Where did you...?"

"Selphie told us what happened," stated Kairi although she was smiling. "But I'm so happy to see that you two are alright. Tidus, this is Katalin and Darcie."

He surveyed the other two girls with interest. "Are they the reason you left the islands?"

"Not exactly, Tidus," laughed Kairi. "Maleficent. You remember her, what we told you about her at least?" Both he and Tidus nodded their heads gravely. "We went to see what could be done about her, but... that's not important. At the moment it's not, at least. If you two weren't exactly kidnapped, then what _were _you?"

"Brought back home," another voice answered, that of a stoic woman. Kairi, Katalin, and Darcie looked for the source, toward the entrance of a nearby hut. A tall woman at about the same height as Darcie surveyed them as she readjusted the Moogle doll clasped in her right hand and pressed against her chest. She was wearing a low cut, long black dress that had a fur-lined collar and was made up of belts once the dress reached the waist. They had no doubt that she was the one Selphie had described.

Radiant Destiny flashed into Kairi's hand. "Destiny Islands _is _Tidus and Wakka's home."

A small smile flickered on the woman's lips (which were dark purple, making Darcie hope that she was wearing lipstick or something) for just a moment. "Sensitive, are we? Maybe it's their home _now_, but Besaid Island was their first one for a long time."

"Long time?" repeated Kairi, annoyed. "Tidus is seventeen and Wakka is in his twenties." **(A/n: This is where my head starts to explode a little. Dx') **"And the two of them have been living on the islands as long as I have."

All the woman said in reply was, "Believe what you'd like." Katalin put her hand on Kairi's shoulder as the latter's knuckles turned white from her death grip on Radiant Destiny. "Now, are you three going to help us or be pests?"

"Lulu, don't be so cruel," yet another voice said as another woman joined them. The new arrival had medium-length brown hair that flipped at the ends and was wearing some sort of kimono. Perhaps the most enticing thing about her were her eyes: the left being blue and the right being green. **(A/n: Not if you're looking **_**at **_** her but if you were her.) **"Kairi, it's nice to meet you. I heard a lot from Tidus, Wakka, and Sora."

Kairi's anger was forgotten as she gazed at the other girl, who appeared to be around the same age as her. "S-Sora?" she repeated, faltering at the name. "Then, you must be..."

"Yuna," offered the brunette.

"Katalin and Darcie," stated Katalin, gesturing tiredly to herself and her best friend. "Sora told us about you, Yuna, and your friends, too. But when he mentioned you, he also mentioned that you were tiny pixies."

Another girl giggled as a blonde and dark silverette joined them. Both girls appeared to be around the same age as Yuna, but the blonde bore a few resemblances to her. The blonde had long hair that was mostly contained by a blue headscarf (although quite a good deal of it flowed down to her back still) with some strands tied in braids hanging loose around her head. She was dressed in a risque outfit, a yellow bikini top, a short brown skirt, white and blue boots, all topped off by a long red a, orange, and yellow scarf. The majority of her arms were obscured by long white arm warmers with ribbons. Her eyes were dark green, the left one having a strange swirl in it.

The silverette appeared nothing less than lethal, and like the other woman, Lulu, she was dressed in almost all black leather. Her black top was folded so that it resembled a tube top more than anything. Black leather gloves cut off at her elbows and, likewise, she was wearing high-heeled leather boots. Katalin couldn't stand to walk in high heels and had to wonder how anyone was able to run around in high-heeled boots all day. Both the silverette and brunette were dressed provocatively while Yuna dressed a little more conservatively. The three girls wondered what the reason for that possibly could have been.

"We're not pixies anymore," remarked the blonde.

"Obviously," the silverette murmured under her breath. "That's minus four respect points, Rikku."

The blonde, Rikku, groaned. "Why doesn't Yuna ever lose respect points, Paine?"

"Because Yuna has a better idea when to keep her mouth shut," answered Paine with the hint of a smile.

Katalin, Kairi, and Darcie exchanged a glance. The group certainly seemed to be rather close, if that's what they wanted to call it. "Right. Why aren't you pixies anymore?" prompted Darcie.

"It was something of a curse that Maleficent cast on us while we were here, in Spira, because she needed more help on her side," answered Yuna. "She lifted it of her own free will once we betrayed her, I guess, and sent us back home. But I heard you mention her name. What's going on?"

Almost immediately, Darcie and Katalin replied, in unison, "Kairi, you can fill everyone in."

* * *

**A/n: I think I'm going to be doing things slightly different in Spira. I'm not too sure I'll be following FFX's plot because that would just be hard. xD' There was a good deal of action in the beginning of this chapter, so I think that makes up for the rest? I hope. Please review! Two more chapters of Spira, I'm thinking. **


	16. Crime and Punishment

**Chapter Sixteen:**  
Crime & Punishment

**A/n: This chapter is going to be SO Final Fantasy X heavy that it's not even funny... So much so that it'll probably be a good idea to break it up, but we'll see. I'll probably skip over quite a deal of the FFX plot and have them in various places after various breaks. I'll explain any necessary terms at the end of the chapter. Dx' The song for this chapter is all for Lesser. But, you know, it could kinda work for Yuna because of what she does as a Summoner. Just a thought. xD Alright, enjoy! **

**Disclaimer - I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy X.**

_'She got that fire in her dance that'll make them fella's run around;_

_No exit from the dance floor so them boys want more._

_She got that fire in her dance that'll make them fella's run around.'_

**"Fire Burning" by Sean Kingston**

**

* * *

  
**

"And so, the final decision is..." The foreman, a nervous-looking green parrot dressed in a beige suit, began as he glanced at the Queen of Hearts. "The defendants are guilty!"

Naminé pounded the wood of the platform she and Shawn were standing on. He wasn't sure if she was overreacting because she enjoyed feeling true emotions or if her emotions truly were that volatile. "Of what?!" she shouted.

"Does it matter, dear?" replied the Queen, gently at first, "You are guilty, guilty, guilty!"

"Then what the hell was the point of holding a trial?" demanded Shawn as he grasped the wood so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

The Queen of Hearts, eating a heart-shaped lollipop in victory, shrugged meekly. "What, would you rather have not had one?"

"It wasn't fair, so it was just a waste of time," stated Naminé through narrowed eyes. "Could you at least do one thing for us?"

Slowly and suspiciously, the Queen nodded her head. "Perhaps."

"Could you tell us where Alice is?"

The Queen began to choke and coughed up her whole lollipop which, apparently, she had attempted to down all at once. "That wretched little girl? Why should I care?"

"Stop being a moron and answer the question," ordered Shawn, looking very much like he wanted to summon his keyblade and destroy the card soldier that was poking him in the back with its lance.

"She is around, plotting to steal my heart, I'm sure," answered the Queen before going back to her lollipop. "Now, then. I want to see heads roll!"

"I knew you were awful," a new voice, that of a younger girl, huffed, "but this is a new low for you, Your Majesty." The voice regarded the Queen's title with turned around to examine the new arrival, a young blonde girl with a black ribbon tied in her hair. She was wearing a long blue dress with an apron over it. Her face was set in a scowl but, when it fell upon Naminé's, she murmured, "Why, don't you look familiar..."

"Get her! The little brat is interrupting my court session!" screamed the Queen of Hearts as she pounded her gavel unnecessarily loudly. The cards immediately surged toward Alice.

"Forget about them! Follow me into the forest!" she beckoned Shawn and Naminé before disappearing into a dark entrance nearby. The army of cards then turned toward them.

Eye of Truth flashed into Shawn's hand. "Sure, she gets away safely, but us..."

"Don't you dare let them leave this courtroom! If they get away, all of your heads will roll!" exclaimed the Queen who was still viciously pounding the gavel.

Naminé summoned Obsolete Nonexistence and blew her bangs out of her face. "I think a few firaga spells should do the trick."

**XxxxxX**

"Yunie could be either Princesses of Hearts from the light!" remarked an earnest Rikku as she jumped up and down after Kairi finished her explanation on the events that had led them to Spira. "And Paine could be the one from the darkness."

Paine jabbed her sharply in the ribcage in response before refolding her arms. "I don't think that Yuna could be a princess."

"Why?" asked Kairi sharply. If Yuna was the princess, then they would know it at that very moment and be able to _do _something about it. She was tired of being in the dark and not knowing what to do.

"Because, she's a Summoner of this world. It's something that was probably decided before she was born, so if she's a princess, then that would mean her duty as a princess would take her away from her duty here. And the duty of a Summoner is very important," stated Paine as she leaned against the wall of the hut.

They knew that she was probably right, but... "Just let us stay with you for a while, so we can make sure that Dempsey or Maleficent don't come here. I'm sure you could use our help anyway, right?" added Kairi with a smile that she was hoping would convince them to say yes.

Lulu put her hand to her forehead. "We already have eight people. What's three more?" She turned toward Yuna with the faintest trace of a smile. "But it's up to you, Yuna."

Yuna nodded. "The more guardians the better. I would be more than happy to have you three, friends of Sora, along."

"Where exactly is 'along'?" wondered Darcie, who was seated on a box inside of the hut. Her hair was tied in a low ponytail to keep it from getting her face and body wet.

At that point, Rikku turned her head and stuck up her nose somewhat. "Yunie's a Summoner. She goes from temple to temple in different places of Spira to offer her prayers to the temples they have. Whenever she goes to one of those temples, she also gets an Aeon to help her with her journey."

Kairi seated herself on the corner of a crate that Katalin had perched herself on. "What journey?"

"The journey to defeat Sin," another voice answered, that of an older male. Standing in the doorway, blocking the sun somewhat, was a tall dark-haired man wearing a torn red kimono over a dark body suit of sorts. He was wearing sunglasses, but there was no mistaking the description that Sora had given them of Auron, who he had helped (and been helped in return) in the Underworld.

"Sin was created as a result of the sins of our forefathers who used technology, including machina," explained Lulu before there could be any confusion. "Since Sin has come into existence, it has been customary for a Summoner to journey across Spira, gather Aeons, and eventually gather a final Aeon that would allow Sin to be destroyed."

"Machina? Aeons...?" asked Kairi.

"Machina is technology, machines. An Aeon is a creature of sorts that can only be summoned by a Summoner to be used to ward off enemies," answered Lulu. "But the Final Aeon is... much different."

"How?" prodded Darcie.

"Doesn't matter," replied Wakka, shifting uncomfortably on a small couch that he was sitting on between Tidus and Lulu. "You three wanna come, ya?"

Kairi nodded. "Sure. Anything for a friend." Before she was able to finish her final word, screams began to sound from outside. Everyone jumped up, although Tidus, Rikku, and Wakka were the only ones who appeared nervous.

"What on all of Yevon could that be?" murmured Yuna as a long rod appeared in her hand. Its rod was pink, matching perfectly with part of her kimono, and it had a golden shape at the top. The form of a black, twitching creature was just visible outside.

"Heartless," announced all but Lulu and a large, blue-haired beast that sort of resembled a bipedal wild cat.

Radiant Destiny, Noir's Blossoms, and Beautiful Disaster appeared in their wielder's hands, startling Lulu, Wakka, Tidus, and the blue-haired beast. "Guess we are needed here after all," stated Darcie in a significantly cheerier voice.

**XxxxxX**

"No way, Sora," said Riku as he button mashed the artillery in order to defeat the large amount of Heartless and Nobody ships that were gathered near them.

Sora frowned. "Riku, we've _got _to."

"Didn't you already tell Kairi that there's pretty much no way that Ariel can be a Princess of Heart because she's a mermaid?" replied Riku as he used more force than necessary on a particularly small Nobody ship.

Sora rubbed the back of his head. "Well, yeah, but... We have to be sure."

"Then, we can leave Atlantica to Naminé and Shawn."

"They wouldn't know where to go or how to swim as a merperson," stated Sora. "It'll be fast, I'm sure."

**XxX**

Once they beamed down to Atlantica, near the castle, and Sora taught Riku how to swim, they found out how not fast their visit in Atlantica was going to be. Riku's seafoam tail was that of a shark, and he had the fin of a Great White shark. When they entered the castle, a large man with a white beard immediately swam toward Sora and seized him by the shoulders. "Sora, I have terrible news!" Wincing, Sora replied, "What...?"

"Ariel's been kidnapped!" A blonde girl with her bangs covering one of her eyes somewhat and her hair in a half-ponytail informed them. She had red shells and a dark red tail. Her blue eyes were deeply concerned as she swam up to Sora and also clenched his arm. "Sora, you have to help her! She's my best friend."

"Adella, right?" asked Sora nervously while Riku watched with somewhat of disbelief as five more girls appeared and hovered behind their father and sister. She nodded and he continued, "Who kidnapped her?"

"Ursula!" Another one of the sisters answered. Her rich brown hair was held up in a ponytail, and she had blue shells and a tail. "Why does she keep coming back...?" **(A/n: She's Aquata. The oldest sister. :3)**

Sora pulled himself free of Adella and King Triton's grip. "I don't know, but we'll go save Ariel, promise. I'm guessing she went back to her lair... Come on, Riku."

"Sora, be careful. She took my trident, too," warned King Triton.

"Again?!" exclaimed Sora. "Okay. Alright."

Riku didn't say anything until they were out of the palace. "Sora, are all of those girls King Triton's daughters?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

"Because we might not have to worry about just Ariel being a Princess of Heart. We're going to have to worry about all _seven _of them." **(A/n: Dear King Triton's wife, just say no to sex.)**

**XxxxxX**

"Get inside! Everyone!" ordered Yuna as she swung her rod at a nearby Shadow. Paine swung her longsword at another that had been preparing to pounce onto Yuna. "Thanks." She only nodded in response.

Tidus swung at a Shadow, and missed by a mile. "Come on, Tidus. If you can land a hit on Riku, then you can definitely kill a Shadow!" teased Kairi as she took out several at once with a thunder spell.

"What, you want to see who can destroy more?" he suggested.

"Sure," agreed Kairi. "And I'll win."

"You're on!" proclaimed Tidus before running at a Neoshadow. Not only did he just miss a Heartless, but he also managed to Auron, who threw him an annoyed glance. "S-sorry."

Wakka doubled-over with laughter. "Tidus, you don't need any elixirs to be a bad fighter, 'uh?"

"Thunder," recited Lulu, annoyed, destroying a pack of Shadows that had appeared behind Wakka and prepared to sneak attack him. "Maybe you should pay a little more attention?"

Wakka rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks, Lulu."

"They work in synch, huh?" remarked Katalin as she cast a fire spell on a Neoshadow standing a few feet behind them.

Darcie nodded her agreement as she stood back to back with Katalin. "They're almost as epic as us."

"Almost," they agreed in unison before jumping apart and destroying more Heartless.

When the area was completely cleared of Heartless, they rejoined in the very center of the village. "So, where to now?" asked Darcie as Noir's Blossoms disappeared.

"We have to go to the Thunder Plains," remarked Auron as he pushed his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose somewhat. "But we came back here, first."

Kairi's eyebrows furrowed together. She had seen a map of Spira, and Besaid was very far away from Guadosalam. "Why?"

"Wakka and I had a feeling," admitted Tidus. "And we were right. Here you are! We all needed a break, anyway."

"Yes, but it cost us quite a deal of time," pointed out Lulu.

Wakka shrugged somewhat. "Maybe we can cut it in half somehow?"

As if he had spoken the magic words, a portal of darkness appeared a few feet away from them. Radiant Destiny, Noir's Blossoms, and Beautiful Disaster reappeared in their wielders' hands. "That's suspicious," murmured Darcie.

"But no one's coming out," said Kairi. "It should be alright. Let's go."

**XxxxxX**

"I don't see Alice anywhere," grumbled Shawn as he began to slice down the tall grass of the Lotus Forest. "Some savior she is."

"If you don't mind, sir, could you stop _pruning _me?" demanded an airy, but angry, voice of a woman. Shawn looked around, but he couldn't find its source anywhere. "Up here, you little miscreant!" A red rose, appearing ruffled, was speaking to him.

Shawn blinked. "Tell me that a rose isn't talking to me."

"Alright. An average rose isn't talking to you; one with a face is," remarked Naminé with raised eyebrows as she looked up at the rose, too. "Excuse me, but have you seen a little girl named Alice?"

The rose huffed. "Alice, that little weed? She has not been around my garden, I assure you! And thank goodness for that. I would hate for her vileness to ruin my beauty."

Naminé tugged on Shawn's shirt. "Let's get out of here."

He nodded his agreement, and they pushed through a wall of tall grass in their attempt to escape the vain flower. They searched for ten more minutes, calling out Alice's name, but they couldn't find her no matter how hard they tried. "You aren't, perhaps, looking for a girl named Alice, are you?" A male voice asked.

A purple and pink striped cat that Naminé had mistaken for an odd bush of sorts was approaching them. Before their eyes, his head disappeared and he stood on his front paws with his back ones balancing the head. "That's definitely not what we just said," murmured Shawn. "I feel like I'm tripping on acid."

"I told you to use those elixirs at your own risk," replied Naminé although she was still staring at the cat. "You're the Cheshire Cat, aren't you?"

The cat moved his feet so that his head nodded. "Why, yes. Yes I am. And you are Nobody, correct?"

Naminé smiled somewhat at the cat's humor. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "Have you seen Alice?"

"Ahh, no, actually. I was simply hoping that I could strike up a conversation with the two of you by mentioning her name," remarked the cat as he threw his head into the air and flipped so that he was standing on his back paws. He caught his head in his hands as it fell. "I wanted to know if either of you were in the mood for tea."

"I'm never in the mood for tea, dude," remarked Shawn, receiving Naminé's elbow in his ribcage in response.

Naminé nodded. "Sure. Where could we get some tea?"

"In that direction is a March Hare and Mad Hatter. They're both quite mad, so visit them at your own risk," informed the Cheshire Cat.

Naminé raised her eyebrows. "But they have _tea _right?" Shawn thought she was being strangely insistent about her tea...

The Cheshire Cat nodded and grinned a grin that stretched across his face. "Oh, yes." Without warning, his body began to fade away, leaving only the grin behind.

Shawn, if possible, appeared disturbed. "Right. So, let's go see this hare and hatter for your tea..."

"Don't be stupid. I don't want tea," replied Naminé as she started in the direction that the Cheshire Cat had pointed to.

He gazed at her with wide eyes. "Then why are we going to see crazy people?"

"Because the Cheshire Cat wasn't talking about _tea_; he was talking about _Alice_. It was code, Shawn."

Shawn rubbed his head. "Apparently the Cheshire Cat is just as confusing and headache-inflicting as girls."

**XxxxxX**

The area that the portal led them to wasn't particularly cheery. It was dark, wet, and rather bland. Not to mention the fact that lightning touched down every ten seconds. "So, the Thunder Plains really _is _what it looks like. How nice," murmured Darcie, running a hand through the end of her ponytail.

Katalin's hair, already out of control from jumping into the water after Wakka and Darcie, couldn't get much worse. For that, she was grateful. "Isn't this sort of dangerous?"

Auron shrugged somewhat. "There are far more dangerous places in Spira." His tone alone sent chills down Kairi, Katalin, and Darcie's spines. Sora had failed to mention how scary Auron was.

"If we don't cut straight through and stay near the lightning rods, we'll be alright," reassured Lulu as she shifted the Moogle doll in her hand. At least they now knew the purpose of the doll: it served as a conductor for her magic.

Rikku shivered as she stared across the barren land. She had changed before they left and was currently dressed in a sleeveless orange shirt, greenish shorts, and long brown and cream-colored boots that stopped near her knees. On her left hand was a small, faded orange glove with multiple belts, and on the other was an orange one that almost reached her shoulder. Her blond hair was already soaking and was held up in a high ponytail. She had two small braids with orange feathers hanging off either one. Her scarf was gone and she now had two strips of cloth pinned to the back of her shirt. At Kairi, Katalin, and Darcie's confused glances she remarked, "It's going to get colder the farther we go, so I thought it might be a good idea to change."

"Sure, that's why she changed," remarked Paine under her breath.

Rikku stuck out her tongue again. "How many respect points do _you _lose, Paine?"

"Zero," answered Paine simply.

"Let's just hurry and get across these plains?" suggested Darcie. "As eager as I am to stand here and get zapped and everything, it might be a good idea to get moving."

The playful expression slipped off Rikku's face. "But I _hate _lightning."

"Deal with it," replied Auron before starting forward.

"Remember, keep near the rods!" reminded Lulu. Tidus, not paying attention, began walking straight across the plains and was zapped by a bolt of lightning. Lulu put a hand to her forehead. "This is going to take a while."

**XxxxxX**

As Sora expected, he and Riku found Ariel and Ursula in a vacant area of the sea where she had made her lair during his first journey. Ariel was bound by some sort of magic spell but exclaimed Sora's name upon his entrance. Ursula turned toward Sora with an expectant smile which promptly disappeared. "Ah, you brats again? How nice to see you out of the darkness and helping your friend, Riku!"

Riku scowled. "Can it, sea witch."

"How did you manage to get revived a third time?" asked Sora tiredly.

Ursula boomed with laughter. "Maleficent revived me again. She thought that I might be able to track down and find out if a Princess of Heart was living in Atlantica. There _are _no Princesses of Heart here, my dears. Except for maybe me."

Sora and Riku made gagging noises. "Don't even joke like that, Ursula," said Riku seriously.

Ursula scowled. "Impudent fools! What exactly do you mean by that?"

"Well, Princesses of Heart are normally beautiful," answered Riku with a smile. "And you are far from that."

"I will make you pay for denying my beauty!"

"Denying?" murmured Sora as Ursula raised the trident.

Riku shook his head. "She's in deep denial. You would think that she would learn how to use that trident, what with this being her third time of having it..."

"You would think," agreed Sora before swimming toward Ursula and attacking her with Kingdom Key.

**XxxxxX**

After the unnecessarily long journey through the Thunder Plains (caused by a mixture of Rikku's fear and Tidus walking right through the open area, thus getting struck by lightning) and Yuna's announcement that she was going to marry Maester Seymour Guado, -- a man that Darcie was more than eager to meet -- they journeyed to a temple in the snowy land of Macalania to get another Aeon and meet with Seymour. Darcie, Katalin, and Kairi wandered the entrance of the temple for a few moments before Tidus beckoned them inside another room.

"Do all temples look like this?" asked Kairi.

Tidus shrugged somewhat. "Not really. Most of them were really dark and musty-smelling."

"Way to respect your culture, Tidus," laughed Darcie, shoving him playfully. She had spent a good deal of their trip through the Thunder Plains making fun of Tidus and playfully shoving him. He had done the same in return. Kairi was pleased with how well her two friends were getting along. And, although she hadn't much cared for the others at first, she also liked Tidus and Wakka's new friends. She knew there was a reason Sora had befriended Paine, Yuna, Rikku, and Auron.

He flashed a brief grin at Darcie before sitting on the floor. "Sir, we found this in Lady Yuna's things," a servant holding a sphere announced. He handed it to Tidus.

"A... sphere?" asked Katalin.

"It's a sphere that can show memories," stated Lulu as she gently took it from Tidus' hands. "It's the one that Yuna got back in Guadosalam, but she never showed it to us. Should we view it?" She looked nervous at the prospect of doing something behind Yuna's back.

The blue beast that Kairi, Katalin, and Darcie had come to know as Kimahri said, "May be important. We look." He certainly was a man of few words. Lulu placed the sphere on the ground, and a man with wild blue hair that stood over his head was projected. "What I am about to tell you is very important, and it pertains to my son, Seymour. Seymour lusts for power, and his mind has become closed to me. I know that soon the day when he will murder me is coming, but this is fine. His twisted mind is the fault of mine and mine alone, and so he cannot be allowed to continue. I want you, the viewer of this sphere, to take care of him. Stop Seymour before his lust takes him too far!" The sphere ended abruptly and everyone exchanged glances.

"I knew that there was something up with Seymour," announced Tidus.

"You didn't like him because he proposed to Yuna," pointed out Paine, at which point Tidus became slightly red with embarrassment.

Auron shouldered his katana. "Whatever the reason, we must help Yuna. We must protect Yuna, and destroy anyone who chooses to harm her. Even a Maester."

"I thought that when Yuna's in the Cloister of Trials, only her guardians can join her?" asked Kairi hesitantly.

Rikku nodded earnestly. "That's true, but Yuna agreed for you three to come on board as her _guardians_, remember?"

"So let's go kick some hot ass!" announced Darcie, drawing stares from the others. "What? I bet he's really hot."

"He is quite the looker," agreed Lulu, earning herself a glare from Wakka. "Err, let's get going."

**XxX**

Inside the room just outside of the Chamber of Fayth where Yuna was praying to get a new Aeon stood a blue-haired man and quite a few of his Guado guards. His medium-length blue hair reminded Darcie somewhat of Marluxia's, but with three rather long strands that were spiky and somewhat hard to describe in shape. As Darcie had expected, even from behind, he was good-looking. "Seymour!" shouted Tidus. "We know what you've done."

"Peace, Tidus. The Lady prays for a new Aeon," remarked Seymour as he turned to face them. He was obviously surprised that the group was slightly larger than before. "I see Lady Yuna has three new guardians. And just who might you be?"

"Why does it matter to you?" replied Kairi with venom.

"Darcie, Katalin, and Kairi," answered Darcie as she gestured to each girl in turn. Kairi threw her a stern look, but she didn't notice. Her eyes were glued to Seymour's grey ones, never once did they travel up to his forehead were a silvery scar was.

Seymour nodded, as if their names were of particular importance to him. "Always nice to meet new friends of the Lady."

"Stop distracting us! You're evil," exclaimed Tidus.

Seymour forced his eyes to leave Darcie's and settle on Tidus. "What are you blabbing on about?" He started down the steps and, once he was a couple feet away from Tidus, the door flew open and Yuna exited. Her eyebrows furrowed together at the presence of her guardians.

"What are you...?"

"The sphere, Yuna," answered Paine before the other girl had finished. "We saw what you saw."

Auron's expression was impassive although his tone was vindictive as he stated, "You killed your father."

Smiling, Seymour nodded as Yuna rejoined her guardians. "Yes, I did. Lady Yuna was, however, willing to wed me even with this knowledge."

"I was following your father's wishes to stop you, to save you from yourself," replied Yuna as she clenched her rod tightly in her fingers.

Seymour, still smiling, held out his hand. "Then, stop me."

Yuna took a few steps back so that she was standing in front of Tidus. Paine and Rikku instantly moved in front of her. "I suggest you end this, Seymour, before things get ugly," warned Paine as she raised her longsword.

"You mean to threaten me, a Maester? So be it. I will show you what happens to those who oppose me," remarked Seymour as two guards came to stand behind him. Radiant Destiny, Beautiful Disaster, and Noir's Blossoms appeared.

"Darcie," began Kairi as the fight commenced. Said wielder glanced at her. "We really need to work on your fatal attraction to the evil."

**XxxxxX**

Sora knocked the trident onto the other side of the room and freed Ariel with a quick thunder spell. Ariel swam forward and snatched the trident. "Take that back to your father!" he ordered as Riku neared Ursula, who was trying to follow after the princess.

"Ursula, what if I told you that you can have my keyblade? It's much more useful than that trident," remarked Riku as he held out Way to Dawn.

A look of lust passed over Ursula's face. "And more powerful... Give it!" She snatched the key-like weapon from Riku's hand. It didn't even stay for much longer than three seconds before it reappeared in Riku's hand. "But, but you said that I could have it."

Riku nodded. "Never said that you actually have a strong enough heart to _wield _it," he said before delivering a final blow to Ursula by stabbing Way to Dawn into her chest. After she disappeared, Riku turned toward Sora. "Alright. No princesses here. Where should we go to next?"

Sora put his index finger to his chin. "I'm sure Aurora was one of the first Maleficent captured, so... let's go to Agrabah."

"Anything to get out of _this _place," agreed Riku as they swam out of the cavern.

* * *

**A/n: Next chapter is also going to be rather Final Fantasy X heavy, and I hope none of you were too confused. I have to admit that it's been very fun, though. I had to look up Ariel's sisters, by the by, because I remembered their existence but knew none of their names except for one, who I didn't even end up using. xD Anyway, please review. Ooh! And thank you to everyone who has reviewed thus far! :D**


	17. Banishment

**Chapter Seventeen:**  
Banishment

**A/n: I have nothing good to say today except for thank you for the reviews! :D This one is really, really long. xDD' Sorry!  
**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Alice in Wonderland, or Final Fantasy/X**

_'I'm tired of being what you want me to be,_

_Feeling so faithless lost under the surface._

_Don't know what you're expecting of me,_

_Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes.'_

**-"Numb (Encore)" by Linkin Park ft. Jay Z**

**

* * *

  
**

One of the Guado guards took out another potion and healed himself for the umpteenth time. Darcie narrowed her eyes into a glare. "That's it. I'm _tired _of them. I'll take care of them."

"Me too," offered Rikku, who had been hovering off to the side while twitching, obviously not liking having to stand still. Rikku and Darcie ran forward, ignoring the calls for them to stop, and separated as they both headed for one guard.

Darcie successfully reached hers and knocked him onto his back with a swift slash from Noir's Blossoms. The guard dug his hand into his pocket for another potion. "No more mother fucking potions for you, bitch!" growled Darcie as she took the potion from his hands and picked his pockets for anymore. After that, she delivered a thundara spell that successfully killed him. Smiling, Darcie skipped back and joined Katalin. "Well. That was easy!"

"Not for Rikku," murmured Kairi, her voice grave. The other guard was casting thunder spells at Rikku, and she continued to jump back in attempts to evade them. During their journey through the Thunder Plaines, Rikku had mentioned having extreme astraphobia **(A/n: Fear of thunder & lightning)**, so they were surprised she didn't run off and give up. Rikku's anger at Seymour was obviously enough to make her deal with it. At least for the moment. Rikku was unable to dodge any longer and finally was struck down by a thunder spell that left her immobile on the ground.

Cursing quietly under his breath, Auron surged forward and blocked another thunder spell from the guard with his katana before scooping up Rikku and returning off to the side. Darcie ran forward once more, beat up the guard, pick-pocketed him, and allowed Lulu to land a waterga spell that killed him. "Auron, I didn't know you cared," remarked Rikku weakly.

He scowled. "I couldn't leave you in the middle of everything like that; you would have gotten in the way."

A knowing smile appeared on her lips. "'kay."

"Now that those idiots are gone, Yuna, you can summon!" pointed out Tidus with too much enthusiasm.

"Summon an Aeon?" Kairi asked. Yuna, smiling, nodded as she held up her rod. Everyone moved away from her quickly, so Darcie, Kairi, and Katalin quickly followed suit. Light flew around Yuna as she held out her arms and placed the rod in front of her. She bowed her head and a electric-looking purple light emitted in a circle around the rod. Yuna held the rod over her head as the light concentrated itself into a ball of light over the rod.

The light flew off to the side and created a portal of sorts. A horn began to poke out of the portal. Yuna pulled back on the rod, and a large horse/unicorn leapt out of the portal and landed on the ground before her. The horse looked skeletal with its rib bones making a contrast with the black skin. It had a bluish white mane and tail. "Ixion, my name is Yuna. Nice to meet you," murmured Yuna, in awe of the horse's beauty. Katalin, Kairi, Darcie, and Rikku were in just as much awe. Ixion released a tortured-sounding neigh from his mouth as she reared for a minute.

"Ah, a Summoning battle it is, Yuna? This should be quite some fun, then. Prepare yourselves. Come, feel my pain. Anima!" shouted Seymour, his voice suddenly sounding ten times louder.

Everyone, with the exception of the keyblade wielders, looked nervous. Even Auron. "Anima? Who's Anima?" demanded Katalin.

"An Aeon. A very powerful Aeon," murmured Paine. The ground turned red hot as a large creature resembling a mummy with razor sharp, black wings folded around its body emerged from the ground. Its fingers were long and boney, and the body was secured with multiple chains.

"Bad. Ass," remarked Darcie with a large grin. "I want that."

Seymour flashed a grin Darcie's way. "But you cannot have it. If you were to come with me, however..."

"Don't even think about it," warned Katalin.

Darcie smiled innocently. "Whatever are you talking about?"

"Kick his ass, Yuna!" shouted Tidus.

A bright bolt of lightning emitted from the tip of Ixion's horn and struck down Anima, but it barely appeared effected. After a while of Ixion using various thunder attacks, Anima, who had not used a single move, fought back. A black and orange portal, much resembling the one Anima had appeared out of, appeared beneath Ixion, sucking it in. A black and red light pulsed off of Anima, and the room filled with red and purple light. Another head, the other side of Anima with long white hair, roared and freed its wrists from the chains that were binding it. With a loud roar, it released balls of fire from its hands and attacked Ixion relentlessly. With one more roar that sounded like one resulting from eons of pain caused a final explosion.

The light receded, and Anima calmed down. Seymour smirked as Ixion neighed with pain and disappeared from view. "Wow. I feel bad for Ixion, but that was so badass..." remarked Darcie.

Shaking a little, Yuna raised her rod and snow began to drift from the sky. Several large pieces of ice crashed just behind her, separating her from the others. A brilliant white light emerged from the ceiling as the transparent image of a woman glided from the sky. She landed within the pieces of ice and glanced up as her form became solidified. The ice shattered, glancing off of Yuna and the others although Katalin raised her keyblade to block the larger pieces.

The woman threw her cloak in the air where it gently fell into Yuna's outstretched arm. "Shiva, nice to meet you," she murmured. Shiva raised her index and middle finger to her lips before swiping her arm through the air. She twirled around in a graceful circle as ice gathered around her and raised he arms over her head. A large ball of ice appeared over her hands and became an icy wind as she threw her arms forward.

With a blood-curdling scream, Anima disappeared from where it had come. "You have lost, Seymour. Give up," commanded Auron as he took a few steps forward. Shiva turned toward Yuna somewhat and smiled as she pulled her cloak back around her and disappeared. Yuna fell to her knees, spent from summoning the two Aeons.

Seymour also fell to his knees. "But this... This cannot be! Anima is all powerful... She cannot be..." He trailed off and shook his head as he fell to the ground completely.

"Wow. Way to go, Yuna!" cheered Tidus as he helped her up.

"Yuna, send him now," said Lulu with a glance at Yuna.

Yuna nodded and picked up her rod before approaching the dead Seymour. "Send? What's that?" asked Kairi.

"A Sending is a ceremony -- in the form of dance -- that Summoners do to the dead. It guides the spirits of the dead to the Farplane," remarked Paine.

"Not so fast!" exclaimed a man who had just entered the room. He had messy green hair that was reminiscent of snakes and a large beard of the same color. "Get away from him, now!"

Yuna took a few steps away from Seymour's body. "But, Seymour's dead. He _murdered _his father. Please. Just let me Send him."

"Nonsense, you foolish girl. After them! Seize them!" ordered the man, Tromell, as more guards appeared behind him.

Radiant Destiny, Beautiful Disaster, and Noir's Blossoms appeared in their wielder's hands. Auron put a hand on Katalin's shoulder and shook his head. "We leave. Come!"

"After them!" shouted Tromell again, this time summoning Shadows.

Kairi's mouth fell open. "Heartless? You're controlling the Heartless?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" replied Tromell with a bitter grin.

Auron glanced back at Yuna and the others. "Go, we will catch up."

"But--" Riku began.

"I said leave. There's no way they will leave with the Heartless here, and I can show them the way out. Go," repeated Auron as he unsheathed his sword and destroyed some nearby Shadows. Although Rikku was hesitant to leave, Wakka pulled her after him as they ran out of the room. "Let's make this quick."

**XxxxxX**

Shawn held open the gate as he and Naminé passed through. Alice was seated in a large, comfortable-looking pink armchair with a brown hare and a man with a tall green hat standing on either side of her. They were seemed to be serenading her. "A very merry unbirthday..."

"To me?" asked Alice.

"To you!" agreed the Mad Hatter.

"A very merry unbirthday--" The March Hare and Mad Hatter broke off when they noticed Naminé and Shawn. "Ooh, more visitors!" exclaimed the hatter.

Naminé forced a smile. "Can we talk to Alice?"

"Only if you have a seat at the table. Now, when are your birthdays?" asked the March Hare as he poured tea out of his sleeve and into a cup.

When he offered it to Shawn, he held up his hands. "I don't drink tea. Ever."

"Really?" replied the hare as he threw it back. "You look the type."

Shawn's face turned red. "What does that mean?"

"I'm sorry, but I was just leaving," apologized Alice as she climbed out of the chair and joined Naminé. "I'll come back for tea some time soon!"

"Can't we keep him?" asked the Mad Hatter. "I'm quite sure we can convince him to love tea."

Naminé grabbed Shawn and tugged him away from the two mad people that the Cheshire Cat warned them about. "No, definitely not. We need him. Let's--"

"--go," finished Shawn as they headed for the gate. "You know, while we were in the Bizarre Room, I thought I saw something suspicious. I think I'll go check it out."

Alice grabbed his other arm and shook her head earnestly. "No, you mustn't go back through the way you came. Go through that house, and you'll be in the Bizarre Room again. It will be different, but it is much better than facing certain death from the Queen's hands."

Shawn shrugged. "Alright. The house, then. Naminé, I'll meet you by the pond in the forest. See ya." He turned away from them and ran past the table as the Mad Hatter and March Hare tried to offer him tea again. Alice didn't say anything else until she and Naminé were 'safely' back in the forest. Almost immediately, Heartless began to appear.

"Are you Kairi's sister...?" trailed off Alice as she waited for Naminé to give her a name.

Naminé knocked a few Shadows away from Alice. "Naminé. And no, not really. What would make you ask that?"

"If I remember Kairi correctly, then I'm quite sure you bear some resemblance to her..."

Although Naminé said nothing, all she could think about was that she and Alice, in all realness, resembled each other more. "Alice, have you seen anyone suspicious here?"

"Except for the reappearance of Heartless, no," replied Alice cheerily. "No Maleficent or anything, no."

For a few more minutes, the only sounds were that of the howls of Heartless as Naminé killed them and her increasingly heavy breathing. Keyblade wielding was much harder than it looked. "If you don't mind me asking, do you live here, somewhere?"

Alice frowned somewhat. "Well, I live in a house, in London, but I fell through the Rabbit Hole, so Wonderland is my new home." Naminé felt extremely bad for Alice, not just because she was unable to return home, but because she lived in _Wonderland_. Sora had never said how crazy it was here, exactly.

**XxxxxX**

"Do you think any Heartless will bother the others on their way out?" worried Kairi.

Auron shrugged. "They'll be able to take care of any if they're there. All we have to worry about are the Heartless and the Guado."

Katalin glanced over her shoulder as they made their way through the icy tunnel of the Cloister of Trials. Several Guado guards were following them. She tried to point Beautiful Disaster over her shoulder. "Fira!"

"Reflect!" roared one of the guards. Katalin's spell hit an invisible shield and reflected back at her. Auron roughly grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the way. The fira spell hit the other end of the tunnel, melting it.

"Fuck," cursed Darcie as she pushed herself off the icy ground. "Now what?"

Auron glanced at her as if the answer was obvious. "We jump."

"We... jump?" repeated Katalin. He nodded.

Kairi shook her head. "Is this why Sora liked you so much?"

The corners of Auron's lips twisted upward. "Maybe." He took a few steps backward before taking a running leap across the gap. He swiftly landed on his feet before the exit. "Come, jump." Kairi followed his lead and also took a running leap. She gracefully landed beside Auron.

Katalin and Darcie were not so lucky. Four Guado guards appeared behind them and summoned more Heartless. "Maester Seymour wanted to personally meet with the two of you. Perhaps we should hold them back...?" asked one of the guards to the other, who nodded.

"Seymour can have me any day, but you two?" remarked Darcie with distaste. "No way." She blocked the Shadows with Noir's Blossoms as they pounced at her and knocked them back at the guards. The Heartless seemed particularly pleased with the turn in events and clawed into the men's chests. When they were through with the guards, there were no more men, but many more Heartless. Darcie pulled on Katalin's arm. "Let's get out of here."

With Darcie's hand still on Katalin's arm, they took their running leaps together and landed before Auron and Kairi. "But what did he mean...?" asked Kairi.

"We'll worry about it later. Let's catch up with the others," replied Auron as he started up the stairs. They followed hot on his heels and exited the temple without much more of a problem. Once they were outside, more Heartless began to appear, but they ignored them. "Things are not what they seem."

They made decent enough time that they found the others finishing off a monster resembling a yetti. The yetti-like creature roared angrily and pounded its fists on the ground just as Auron, Katalin, Darcie, and Kairi joined Yuna and the others. "These Guado mean serious business, huh?" mused Darcie.

"Two guards that we missed and the Heartless didn't get. How fortunate for them," murmured Kairi.

Wakka glanced at them. "You three look a little shaken up. Bad time in the temple?"

"That's a way to describe it," agreed Katalin, perturbed at seeing the Heartless steal hearts once more, even though the attack had been against enemies. The ice below their feet began to crack.

"We just can't get a _break_," remarked Tidus somewhat incredulously as Yuna grabbed his arm. Rikku unconsciously attached herself to Auron's arm as they began to fall...

**XxX**

"Face," a voice, familiar to Katalin's ears, called. She wanted to open her eyes to see who was speaking to her, but sleep seemed like the better option. Katalin drew her knees closer to her chest and rolled over. "_Face_," the voice repeated impatiently.

Another voice sighed. "Both of them are out, but it seems like Katalin just wants to sleep."

"Yeah, but poor Yunie..." A higher, female voice trailed off. "But she's breathing, and her pulse is okay, at least."

"I'll wake her up," the first voice remarked. A sharp pain seared in Katalin's left shin, forcing her to open her eyes. "There we go!" Darcie, looking particularly pleased, cheered. "Faceee..."

Katalin pushed herself up and rubbed her head. "My head's killing me. What happened?"

"We're underneath the frozen lake," answered Lulu as she glanced upward. "You see that up there? That's the temple."

"But how did it happen?" asked Katalin.

Kairi rubbed her arms. "That Wendingo thing pounded the ground after Ixion's last attack on it, and we fell down here." Wakka slung his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him so that she would be warmer. She smiled up at him in appreciation, and Lulu suddenly found herself realizing why Kairi had been so vehement in her insistence that Destiny Islands was Wakka and Tidus' home; they were all very sibling-like.

"We have to get out of here before we freeze," pointed out Paine. She seemed to be one of the few that were unaffected by the chill; Riku was definitely not part of that faction.

Riku's bare legs had not been spared by her boots and she was covered up to her thighs in the cold water. She was all but clinging onto Auron who, much to everyone else's surprise, did not protest. As they stood around, no one saying anything for a while, just listening to the beautiful singing of the... "Where's that singing coming from?" wondered Tidus.

Lulu glanced at him, not sharply as she usually did, just glanced at him. "The Fayth." That was all the answer anyone needed. Katalin, Darcie, and Kairi didn't fully understand the concepts in Spira, but the song was beautiful; it didn't need to be questioned.

No one spoke after that until the singing abruptly broke off. Rikku released Auron and glanced around as she hugged her arms tightly. "What...?" The ground began to shake and tremble tremendously.

"Beneath us," hissed Auron as he stared at the water beneath them.

"Sin!" gasped Yuna. Rikku backed up against Auron while Tidus protectively stood in front of Yuna. Radiant Destiny, Beautiful Disaster, and Noir's Blossoms appeared in flashes. Something of recognition flashed in Tidus' eyes, and he fell to the ground, as did the majority of the group.

Much to Kairi, Katalin, and Darcie's surprise, they seemed to see what Tidus did. He was speaking to someone -- in fact, it almost sounded like he was speaking to someone he knew. Like his father. They saw flashes of a beautiful place, a much younger Tidus, and an older man that bore more resemblances to Captain Jack Sparrow than Tidus. Suddenly, it all ended in a flash.

Kairi coughed and choked out water as she and the other keyblade wielders appeared in a small pond of sort. "Tidus?" she called, softly, once she had emptied her system of the water. He was leaning on the sand with his feet still in the water. The strangest part was that there was a wide smile on his face.

"I forgive you for this, just be good for awhile," he murmured and, as he stood and faced them, continued, "I'm not alone this time?" His smile widened. "Good. We should get out of here."

"Here, here," agreed Darcie as she rang out her hair for what seemed like the millionth time to her. "Kat, may I...?" Katalin nodded, took something off her wrist, and handed it to Darcie without a word. It was a red hair tie. As soon as they stepped away from the water, Neoshadows, Bandits, and Fat Bandits began to appear. With Radiant Destiny, Beautiful Disaster, Noir's Blossoms, and Brotherhood in hand, they destroyed the Heartless. Once the Heartless were gone, small Machina began to appear.

"Today is not our day," groaned Katalin before she, Kairi, and Darcie began to cast thunder spells like there was no tomorrow while Tidus slashed at them with his sword.

**XxxxxX**

"This is bad," remarked Sora as he exited the Sultan's Palace in Agrabah. Riku had been forced to stand outside because the Sultan "did not know him."

"What?" asked Riku although he was dreading the answer. He pushed himself away from the wall that he had been leaning against and met up with Sora in the center of the palace's courtyard. "Jasmine's not here anymore, is she?"

Sora shook his head. "But... how did you know?"

"I guessed," admitted Riku. "I was pretty sure that since no Heartless were appearing, it could mean only two things. One, Maleficent hadn't come after Jasmine yet, which is extremely unlikely. Two, Jasmine was already gone, so there was no reason for any Heartless to be around."

Sora nodded. "Nice guess. I guess Aladdin's pretty torn up about it. He tried really hard to protect Jasmine..."

Riku nodded. "I bet you can really sympathize."

"What makes you say that?" asked Sora as they made their way for the Gummi Ship.

"Do you even have to ask?" replied Riku, chuckling. "You would be like Aladdin is now if something happened to Kairi. But you're the Keyblade Master, so you can actually do something about it."

Sora rested his arms behind your head. "I guess you're right. Speaking of Kairi, I wonder how she, Katalin, and Darcie are doing in Spira."

"I'm sure they're having the times of their lives," assured Riku.

**XxxxxX**

By the time they reached the end of the desert, Kairi felt like she was going to drop. If she felt like she was going to drop in her relatively short and cool pink dress, then it was nothing compared to how Katalin and Darcie felt. Katalin had lucked out somewhat because she was wearing a tank top, but she was also wearing her pair of favorite skinny jeans which were dark blue in color and had some rips on them. Darcie was extremely hot and bothered, and it had to do with the heat. She was dressed in a pair of light blue skinny jeans and a brown plaid quarter-sleeve shirt over a black undershirt. She dug her black converse into the sand and shook her head. "We there yet?"

Rikku gasped as they arrived at the end of the desert, overlooking what looked like a city of sorts with buildings rising up from way below. Fiends and Heartless were roaming the streets, attacking people who valiantly tried to fight back, only to be killed or lose their hearts. "Yuna's down there!" exclaimed Wakka.

"Let's go," proclaimed Lulu. They slid down the sand dunes with Rikku in the lead and rushed into the Al Bhed city. Rikku had guaranteed that they would found Yuna there, "Home" as she had called it, but they weren't allowed to release the location of it. Situated in the middle of a desert, Darcie wouldn't expect anyone to want to go _looking _for it.

They entered the city and began to take out all of the fiends and Heartless that they could, but the Heartless only began to increase in number. A Dusk materialized out of no where in front of Kairi. She knocked the Dusk back and glanced at Katalin and Darcie. "We have a problem. Nobodies are here, too."

"So the Organization is here?" asked Katalin. "We better watch it."

Rikku, who had bent over a fallen soldier, stood up and faced the rest of the group with wet eyes. "Yunie will be underground. Come with me." Although it seemed to take a lot of willpower on her part, Rikku turned away from the dead Al Bhed and ran inside of the building.

**XxX**

This way!" called Rikku as she ran down a hall. They had been running around different corridors for the better part of ten minutes, and had entered a few rooms with very large, angry monsters inside. Once they went inside, the Heartless had stopped appearing, but Dusks seemed to materialize everywhere they went. As she stood at the top of the staircase, waving them in her direction, a large wolf appeared around her. Its feral eyes were yellow and darkness was lifting off of its body like smoke. The wolf slashed Rikku aside, knocking her into the wall, and causing her to fall down the stairs.

"Rikku!" cried Tidus, surging forward, with Brotherhood held at the ready. Kairi blocked him with Radiant Destiny. He glared at her somewhat. "Kairi," he began, his tone warning.

Darcie took a step forward to separate the other two. Without looking at Tidus, she said, "Let us take care of this one; it's a Heartless. And, by the looks of it, not your average breed."

Auron's eyes settled on the back of Darcie's head. She knew this without looking at him because his eyes were burning holes in the back of her head. "They're looking for you."

"So they are," she agreed, ignoring Kairi and Katalin's puzzled glances. Footsteps echoed, and a pair of Guado guardians appeared.

Lulu adjusted her moogle doll as she also took a few steps forward in order to stand beside Katalin. "This is our fight just as much as yours. Let us help."

"We gotta get to Yuna as soon as possible," agreed Wakka as he stepped beside Lulu.

**XxxxxX**

After a while of listening to Alice speak about Wonderland and its little secrets, Heartless began to appear again. They didn't appear a few at a time; huge swarms of them appeared. "What happened?" demanded Naminé as she stood up on the mushroom that she and Alice had been sitting on.

Alice blinked and said, "They're here..."

Naminé threw a sharp glance over her shoulder. "What are you talking about?"

Instead of replying verbally, Alice pointed at a figure that had just stepped out of a portal. His large stature could not be mistaken; Maleficent had sent Pete to kidnap Alice. Naminé jumped off of the mushroom, landing amidst the swarm of Heartless. "Stay there!" she ordered Alice before charging through the Heartless in order to reach Pete.

Pete laughed. "I thought this would be easy, but if it's just you, then I'm not worried."

Naminé tightened her grip on Obsolete Nonexistence instead of answering. She found herself dearly wishing for Shawn to reappear.

**XxxxxX**

"She's... not here," remarked Tidus, dumbly, as they entered the Sanctuary that Rikku had said Yuna would be in. The room was completely empty of absolutely everyone.

Rikku shook her head slowly. "Then someone else must have found her in the desert... If she had been here, then..."

"Then, what?" prompted Auron with a glance at the Al Bhed began to fill Rikku's eyes. "Yunie will die, you know!" she cried, so abruptly, that everyone turned to look at her.

Kairi gasped. "_Die_?"

"Summoners have to call upon the final Aeon to defeat Sin. Even if Yunie kills Sin, the final Aeon will kill _her_," explained Rikku, falling to her knees. "My cousin will be killed in order to defeat Sin."

Tidus looked toward the ceiling and yelled. "How could I not know? Why? Why didn't anyone say anything?"

"Why would I want to admit that the girl I think of as my younger sister is going on a suicide mission?" hissed Lulu. "Do you think that anyone wants to come to terms with that?" He glared at her. "Then why didn't you try to stop her?"

"How could we convince Yuna not to follow her heart?" came Wakka's weak reply. "She knew what she doing when she chose to be a summoner."

Tidus' mouth all but fell open. "Wakka, you _knew_?"

"Lulu told me," admitted Wakka. "But I didn't want to tell you, because you and Yuna hit it off so well, and..."

Katalin shook her head. "Then, when we find her... We'll lock her up or something."

"We can't let her die," decided Tidus.

Darcie nodded. "We'll figure out something. In the meantime, we have to get out of here before this place collapses." Her level-headed remark surged everyone into action, and they ran out of the room. Shadows were appearing all over.

"Why are there so many?" asked Rikku, having a better grip on herself by now.

Auron glanced at her. "Because of the evil intentions of the Guado guardians who are here. The Heartless are drawn to them." He destroyed a group that was getting too close to them. A group of Dusks also appeared and began to attack the Shadows.

"We have to get out of here," reminded Lulu as she headed up the staircase. Darcie, Katalin, and Kairi were blocked from the rest of the group as a portal rose before them, and an Organization member stepped out.

Marluxia smiled; his appearance was different than it had been the previous time he had seen them. His pink hair had toned down to a light brown, and his blue eyes were a bit of a lighter shade. They were sure that it had nothing to do with the change in lighting around them; he had really taken on a new appearance. "Did Dempsey's magic do that to you?" asked Kairi, remembering what Riku had said about Larxene/Sadi.

He smiled in response. "No. I owe it to the two of you and that little witch. I came to tell you my thanks."

"That's great and all, but we kind of wanted to get out of here before this place collapsed," replied Darcie with narrowed eyes. "Get out of our way."

"Ah, I lied. There is another reason for why I came," mentioned Marluxia as Graceful Dahlia appeared in his hand in the flash of cherry blossom petals. "I have very specific orders to bring you back with me, Darcie."

Katalin stepped in front of her best friend, even though she knew it was an unnecessary move. Darcie was likely stronger than her, but she would be damned if Marluxia was going to have a good opening at her. "Darcie's staying here with us."

Marluxia grinned. "If it's a fight you want, then..." He waved Graceful Dahlia, and they were thrown back down the stairs by a gust of air. He slowly descended the staircase, taking great pleasure in their pain. "Give up, keyblade wielders. You are weak-hearted, at best."

"That's the direct opposite of what a keyblade wielder is," replied Kairi as she picked herself back up and wiped the dirt off her knees and dress. A cut was running up the side of her leg.

Tidus stopped and turned at the top of the staircase. "Guys, if you don't hurry up, we're going to--"

"An Organization XIII member," murmured Auron, obviously recognizing the long black jacket from his time in the Underworld when he saw Demyx. He rushed forward with his katana and knocked Marluxia over the side of the railing. "We have no time to deal with him. Come."

None of them argued as they hurried up the stairs and entered the cockpit of some sort of ship without sparing Marluxia a glance. They entered the ship just in time to see Cid, Rikku's father and the leader of the Al Bhed, throw Tidus across the cockpit. "Everybody's gonna love today, gonna love today, gonna love today," murmured Darcie under her breath.

"No! I'm not gonna let Yuna die!" shouted Tidus as he stood back up.

Radiant Destiny disappeared from Kairi's hand in a flash of golden light. "And neither are we. We'll do whatever it takes."

"Then, I will hold you to those words," remarked Cid. "We'll use this ship to look for Yuna." The floor trembled as the airship lifted into the air, flying away from the fiends and the remainder of Home.

Auron turned toward Katalin, Kairi, and Darcie as he sheathed his katana. "Are you running from your story by continuing along with us?"

Darcie raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you tell us? You're the one who hurled Marluxia over the railing before we could take care of him."

"The three of you would have been left behind and killed during the destruction of the Al Bhed home," answered Auron easily, almost amusedly.

Kairi shook her head. "Yuna is our friend. All of you are our friends. We're not leaving until she's alright.""And she won't be very alright if she continues this pilgrimage of hers now, will she? I will force her to end it," proclaimed Cid.

Darcie raised an eyebrow. "Who are you to tell Yuna what to do?"

"Her uncle," answered Cid. His eyes fell upon Katalin. "Ah, good to see you made it safely out of Home!"

Katalin blanched. "Wait. What? What are you talking about?"

Rikku giggled. "He thinks you're an Al Bhed."

"Oh. Oh, no. I'm a human. Part German, part Irish, part Austrian-Hungarian... No Al Bhed blood in me," reassured Katalin quickly.

Cid gazed at her as if he feared for her sanity. "What are those things that you described yourself as...?"

Another voice spared Katalin from answering. "Father! We found Yuna!" announced Rikku's brother.

**XxxxxX**

Pete knocked Naminé flat on her back in the midst of the Heartless. She tried to get back up, but the Shadows were stepping on top of her, smothering her. Their antennae twitched as they appeared to sense her heart. Naminé could distantly see Pete moving through the crowd of Heartless, making his way for Alice. "Alice! Alice, run!" ordered Naminé, but her voice was smothered by the Heartless standing on top of her. Even if Alice saw Pete, she doubted that she would have the instinct to run; most people didn't.

A scuffle, sounding muffled because the Heartless were blocking her hearing, could be heard. Alice yelled and called Pete nasty things that Naminé didn't know such a young girl had in her vocabulary until there was... nothing. "Another one down! Just a few more to go. So sorry to be leaving you, Nobody!" sneered Pete. Naminé heard the swirling of a portal as Pete summoned it.

Once again, she had failed to protect a Princess of Heart. If she managed to escape the Heartless with her heart, then she was going to give Shawn hell for leaving.

Another thought hit her. If Shawn had gone in the Bizarre Room, would he still be able to return the same way? Sora had mentioned that the Bizarre Room was... "tricky." If he had to come back through the Queen's courtyard, then Naminé wasn't sure if she would see him anytime soon. The Queen of Hearts likely had many more soldiers waiting in the wings.

That meant she couldn't wait for anyone to save her anymore. "Thundaga!" Naminé cried as she pointed her keyblade at the ceiling. Several bolts of lightning rained down on the Heartless, destroying the ones around her so that she was, at the very least, free again.

As Naminé stood, she noticed that the Heartless were disappearing anyway, but she didn't understand why. She quickly came upon the realization as she spotted what looked like an oversized Neoshadow. It had a purple tinge to its black skin with several red scars over it. "I guess I'm not getting off that easily after all," she murmured as she took a few steps back.

**XxxxxX**

After tracking down Yuna, who seemed to be in the middle of a wedding ceremony with the undead Seymour, Cid had ordered everyone to the airship. "You know, since Yuna's not going to marry Seymour, I wouldn't mind--" Darcie's sentence was cut off.

"He's _dead_, Darc," pointed out Katalin. "And evil."

"And they already seem to be in the middle of a wedding ceremony..." said Kairi.

A voice, in a language that no one was able to understand, spoke over the intercom. "It's show time, ladies!" shouted Tidus over the roaring of the wind.

"How did you know?" asked Lulu with a surprised expression.

Tidus shrugged somewhat as ropes fell down to the bridge below. "I picked up some Al Bhed along the way." Darcie wanted so badly to laugh, but she forced herself not to, knowing the seriousness of the ceremony. She perched herself at the top of the rope and slid down first with Katalin clenching painfully onto cheered something in Al Bhed as she went before Auron, who shook his head but smiled faintly. Once they touched down on the bridge below, they sliced down the guards that got in their way as they headed toward Yuna and Seymour, both of whom were easily recognizable but, at the same time, not. Yuna's hair was drawn away from her face, in a ponytail, and she was wearing a long white veil over her face to match her white dress.

Darcie wolf-whistled at Seymour. He was dressed in a nice jacket and pants, complete with a nice hat that fit snugly between his three, long spiky strands of hair. Katalin and Kairi both elbowed her. "Yuna!" called Tidus as another line of guards rose in front of them.

"Do it now," murmured Auron tightly even though he was facing the barrel of a gun.

"Stop! Do you not value your friends' lives?" asked a man dressed in yellow robes, Kinoc, with a glance cast at Yuna, who had her rod in hand and was ready to send Seymour.

Katalin tried to take a step forward. "No, Yuna! Send him!" One of the guards shifted their gun so that it was pressing against the back of her skull.

"Don't you dare hurt them," warned Yuna although she allowed her rod to fall to the ground.

Kinoc glanced at her as if she were a particularly annoying insect. "You will all stand trial for what you've done. Come, we shall go to the courtroom."

"It will, of course, be a fair trial?" asked Auron, his expression unreadable.

Kinoc smiled. "But of course."

**XxX**

"Summoner Yuna, you, along with your guardians and friends, have committed unspeakable crimes. Attacking Maester Seymour, attacking the soldiers of Bevelle... Why? Why have you done this?" demanded Maester Mika. Yuna was no longer dressed in her wedding gown, but in her regular outfit.

"Because," answered Yuna, who was standing on a platform on her own before a counsel, "Maester Seymour killed his father, and he is now dead. I only wanted to give him a sending!"

Maester Mika smiled and slowly shook his head. "Foolish child..." Pyreflies began to fly around his body; the room filled with the sound of gasps coming from Yuna's guardians, who were standing on their own platform far below. "I am no longer part of the living. If I allow you to send Seymour, then I would have to allow you to send me; that cannot be done."

"B-but. Why... Why?!" demanded Yuna, her hands balled into fists at her side.

"I could not allow some inexperienced little fool take my place or Seymour's as Maester. If that were to happen, Spira could be led astray..." explained Mika.

"It's already pretty astray," remarked Rikku. "Your temple is full of Machina!"

Maester Mika shrugged as if the fact was only a tad regrettable, at best. "For simplicity's sake, you know."

"All I know is that using Machina is against all of the teachings of Yevon!" shouted Wakka. Kairi nodded her head; she had nearly forgotten that Tidus and Wakka's beliefs had been different from that of the others on the island. Yevon. None of the children on the islands had known what that was, but now...

Darcie nodded earnestly. "You're hypocrites, using the Al Bhed's machinas and telling off Yuna for 'advocating' them... You launched an attack on the Al Bhed's home! This is some conspiracy." Seymour looked down at the platform where they were all gathered at last. "Ah, yes. You three. You three are wanted, and I am to deliver..." He gestured to Kairi, Darcie, and Katalin. "In return, he has agreed to help me cover up the mess that you fools decided to dig up."

"Him?" growled Katalin. "Dempsey."

"Dempsey," agreed Seymour. He waved his staff at the three of them although Wakka and Tidus stepped in front of them, as if it would protect them. "Dream now, and when you awake, you will be Dempsey's nuisances."

There were cries of surprise as Katalin, Kairi, and Darcie's bodies became engulfed by golden light.

* * *

**A/n: Wow. This was a long chapter. I can't even bring myself to say much. See you in the next chapter. Dx'**


	18. Of the Dark

**Chapter Eighteen:**  
Of the Dark

**A/n: Thank you for your reviews! :3 They are much appreciated. I apologize for all losses of sanity because of the length of last chapter. xD' On the plus side, I'm very excited for this chapter. I think I've had some of the scenes in this one in Spira for a... very long time. I put the song to it almost instantly, to be honest. This chapter's also going to be extremely LONG. There's your warning. Without further ado, enjoy and review! Hey, that rhymes. :D**

**Warning: Don't know WHY I haven't included this yet, but... there are spoilers for Final Fantasy X in here.**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy(X)**

_'Cause we hunt you down without mercy_

_Hunt you down all nightmare long_

_Feel us breathe upon your face_

_Feel us shift, every move we trace_

_Hunt you down without mercy_

_Hunt you down all nightmare long, yeah_

_Luck. Runs.'_

**-"All Nightmare Long" by Metallica**

**

* * *

**Kairi somehow managed to force herself to stand. Her head was pounding, and she had an idea that she had Seymour and his magic to thank for that. Thinking of Seymour reminded her of someone, but who...? Darcie. She gazed around wildly in search of the brunette. "Darcie!" she called, panicked. Pedestrians that were passing by threw her worried glances.

Seymour had transported them, or, at the very least her, not to the middle of somewhere but to a place with people... Somewhere she had never been before. Buildings were absolutely everywhere, and she was standing in the middle of a busy street. The sky was dark blue, almost black. Stars were perfectly visible in the sky.

Dempsey wanted them, but this place couldn't be where his lair was. Kairi didn't know why, but she was quite sure that Dempsey was not staying in this place with the Organization. "Kairi, hey!" Katalin shouted over the sudden roar of a crowd.

As Katalin joined her, Kairi asked, "What are they cheering for...?"

"Blitzball, believe it or not," laughed Katalin. "The sport you always said Tidus and Wakka played on Destiny Islands." Kairi giggled.

"Then, we're still in Spira?" she asked, sobering up a bit. Katalin nodded. "We have to find Darcie," they said in unison. They started down the street, having no clue where they were really going, and admired the buildings as they walked. Water was falling off the roofs of some buildings, just in front of the lit up windows. They looked beautiful.

"Where _are _we?" wondered Katalin after fifteen minutes of silence. "I haven't seen Darcie anywhere."

Kairi sighed. "We're going to have to ask around."

At that, Katalin groaned. "Talking to other people? Great. Well, it'll be worth it if we can find her. Unless..."

"Unless what?" prompted Kairi.

Katalin swallowed hard. "I've been thinking a lot, and stuff is starting to add up. Darcie's not... she's like you, Kairi."

Kairi shot her a puzzled glance. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I think Darcie is a Princess of Heart. Not just any Princess of Heart, but the Princess of Heart from the realm of darkness."

**XxxxxX**

Naminé slowly and hesitantly approached the oversized Neoshadow with Obsolete Nonexistence held at the ready. As soon as it noticed her, the Nextshadow **(A/n: I haven't mentioned this yet, for whatever reason. This Heartless is a boss in 358/2 Days. :3) **disappeared into the ground. Nextshadow. Naminé knew she had recognized it; Roxas had once described it to her, once his memories of the time in Organization XIII resurfaced. Now she wished that Roxas was with her, for more reasons than because he had previous knowledge of the Heartless.

The Nextshadow resurfaced behind her but did not slash her with its large claws. Instead, Naminé was thrown forward by a shockwave that exploded following its reappearance. She quickly picked herself back up and turned to face the Heartless, making note of the one attack for future reference. While it stood there, twitching, she rushed at it and slashed viciously with her keyblade. The Nextshadow, for a few minutes anyway, did not make an attempt to hinder or hurt her.

As if it had just realized that it was being attacked, the Nextshadow flung its arms out wildly, ripping into Naminé's dress and throwing her back again. "Your battle strategy is a lot like Sora's," noted a voice that she immediately recognized.

Angered, Naminé turned toward the forest's entrance and saw Shawn leaning it, looking a little beaten up and exhausted, but amused. "Shawn, what did you to the Bizarre Room for?"

He blinked as if just realizing that he had gone there. "You know, I got beaten up by so many cards and Heartless that I don't think I remember anymore."

The anger subsided as soon as it had come and Naminé flashed him a sympathetic smile. "Cura," she murmured, pointing Obsolete Nonexistence at him. His wounds were immediately healed, leaving behind bruises, at the worst. "Better?"

Shawn nodded. "Much. Now, what is that thing and what happened to Alice?" He moved to stand beside her with Eye of Truth flashing into his hand. She had never really noticed it, but there was a bit of red light to the flash. Strange. Then again, Kairi's was a bit golden. Naminé's, on the other hand, was grey when it appeared and disappeared.

"That's a Nextshadow. I remember that Roxas mentioned he and Luxord fought it here back when he first joined the Organization. Funny, huh?" she added with a faint smile. The smile disappeared as she continued, "Pete came here and captured Alice. He left behind this Heartless."

"Geez, Nam. You sure manage to fall apart without me around, huh?" he remarked, earning himself an elbowing. "Well, let's take care of it!" Shawn ran forward just as the Nextshadow disappeared into the ground.

Naminé stopped beside him, keeping her eyes on the lookout for the reappearance of the Nextshadow. "You know, you and Darcie act similarly often enough. I'm surprised the two of you..." Shawn stopped her with a laugh.

"Darc and I have a love-hate relationship. But, if you think that we act similarly, then you need to be around Darcie and Katalin more often. The two of them together are like... whoa. They pretty much finish each other's sentences half the time. It's cute," he added with a grin.

"Not Darcie, then," realized Naminé with a smile that slowly grew. "Katalin."

Shawn saved himself from answering by pulling himself and Naminé forward as the Nextshadow reappeared. "You know any magic? I can do the physical attacks if you do the magic."

Naminé nodded her agreement. "I'll use all of the thundagas I can."

**XxxxxX**

Kairi and Katalin reached the end of the street that they had been walking on for so long. After speaking to a few different people, they had learned that the place where they were was Zanarkand. They thought it particularly funny because Auron, Yuna, and Lulu had mentioned that Zanarkand was in ruins. This Zanarkand was grand and beautiful; there appeared to not be a single thing wrong with it.

The farther they had travelled the road, the less people they had come across. Now, at the end of the street, no one was around them. But they had found Darcie, it seemed. "Look," murmured Kairi, pointing at a large piece of land in the middle of the sea of water that Zanarkand seemed to be built on and over. Surrounded by a ring of at least twenty Neoshadows and Shadows was Darcie. She was valiantly fighting off the Heartless, but they had no doubt that she'd be in trouble if they didn't hurry up and help her.

"Darc!" shouted Katalin, but Darcie was unable to hear her. She glanced around for a boat of some sort but found nothing. "What do we do?" she asked Kairi hopelessly.

"Isn't it obvious?" answered Kairi as she put one leg over the edge of the small wall and into the cold water. "We swim." She shivered as she put the other leg in the water.

The news didn't seem to bother Katalin too much. She took a few steps back and, as she had done back in the icy temple with Kairi, Auron, and Darcie, took a running leap into the water. She put her arms over her head, in a diving position as she plunged into the water. Kairi could make out Katalin's form perfectly in the crystal clear water and followed after her with a front crawl. When Katalin resurfaced, Kairi said, "I've seen the world where you live. How did you become such a great swimmer?"

Katalin shrugged weakly as she spat out some water. "I always loved swimming, ever since I was young," she admitted before she and Kairi broke into wild and rapid front crawls that brought them to the platform where Darcie was fighting the Heartless. As soon as they climbed on, more Heartless appeared, and they promptly destroyed them and broke into the ring so that they were standing back-to-back with Darcie.

"It's about time," mocked Darcie with a relieved smile as she kicked back a Neoshadow that was getting too close for her comfort.

"We had to find you first," replied Kairi, also smiling, before casting a thundaga spell on some of the Heartless. As soon as those Heartless disappeared, more appeared to take their place. "Dempsey must be watching us from somewhere."

Katalin nodded. "He's just waiting for us to fall. Maybe he wants us to lose our hearts. Well, actually, not all of us... Maybe just me."

"What do you mean?" inquired Darcie as she took a few steps forward and horizontally slashed a row of Shadows. Again, more appeared to take their places. She fell back with the other two and scowled. "This isn't going to get us anywhere."

Kairi shook her head. "Don't play innocent, Darcie. We figured it out, and we know you have, too."

Darcie's facial expression was genuinely puzzled. Katalin glanced at her and managed a grin. "I should have figured it out sooner, being your best friend and everything... Darcie, we think that you're the Princess of Heart from the realm of darkness. And I think that you figured it out after we got here."

"Yeah," agreed Darcie softly. "Auron picked it up pretty quickly, though, didn't he?"

Kairi smiled. "He would. Sora picks his friends well. You two included."

"Are you just saying all of this chummy stuff because we're going to die?" wondered Darcie.

Katalin and Kairi laughed as the latter agreed, "Maybe."

**XxxxxX**

The Nextshadow fell easily. Naminé and Shawn stopped asking each other questions and throwing unnecessary comments as they focused on the Heartless. Their focus paid off as they defeated it rather quickly. "Maybe I was wrong about you," commented Naminé happily as she and Shawn parked the ship back in Cid's Gummi garage, which was near Merlin's house. Once they had returned to the ship, they had received a recorded message from Sora telling them to return to the Radiant Garden. They didn't know why, but they agreed to return nonetheless. Losing Alice had taken a toll on their egos although defeating the Nextshadow had managed to bring it up a little.

When they entered the house, they found Cid shouting all types of curses at Yuffie as he tried to fix the computer, which was short-circuiting. Apparently, she had been jumping around and had managed to knock his coffee onto the keyboard. "Well, maybe you shouldn't keep your coffee near the computer!" shouted Yuffie without any real heat as she crossed her arms and stared at the pilot. Cid shouted another string of curses at her in response.

"Oh, calm down, lad. Here," murmured Merlin as he pulled out his wand and pointed it at the keyboard. With a simple flick of his wrist, the computer stopped short-circuiting and returned to its previous condition. When he noticed Shawn and Naminé, he chirped, "Ah, welcome back! How was Wonderland?"

"Mad," answered Shawn curtly as she collapsed into the couch. "I'm so ready for bed."

"Too bad, my boy," replied Merlin. "Leon wanted to see whomever returned first. You'll find him at the Castle!"

"In Ansem the Wise's computer lab?" asked Naminé.

Merlin nodded. "In the lab."

**XxX**

The walk to the Castle wasn't too painful as only a few Heartless at a time managed to appear. Yuffie had referred to the Heartless as the "neighborhood Heartless." Naminé guessed that even with its keyhole sealed, Radiant Garden would still have Heartless. It just wouldn't be able to get taken over by them. Shawn talked to Naminé about absolutely anything. He confessed that he missed Diamant de Plaines badly, including his family and his friends. "I only give Darcie a hard time because I'm used to fighting with my sister. She's sort of like my sister, only ten times more badass."

Naminé giggled. "You three are like that. You know, the three of you act very similarly."

Shawn grinned as he shouldered Eye of Truth, just in time for it to disappear. For some strange reason, he found Naminé easy to talk to. "Well, that's good. Darcie and Katalin probably wouldn't have been very happy if some preppy jock had been the third keyblade wielder. He would have annoyed them to no end."

"Sora, Kairi, and Riku aren't bad, you know," remarked Naminé abruptly. "They're good. And nice."

He laughed. "Not to me."

"That's because you annoy _them _to no end," she pointed out, with which he had to agree. "But they try. If they didn't like you, then they would disregard you, or leave you behind. Or make you go on your own trips. Riku would be the one that you really have to worry about, and I know he likes you. If he didn't, then he would have left you alone with Larxene."

Shawn shrugged. "Guess I'm just different."

"Yeah," agreed Naminé as they entered the corridors below the castle. "You have an over-inflated ego."

He laughed. "You might be right. But what about you? Where do you fit in the picture?"

Naminé shrugged, as if it didn't matter. "I don't. I was a Nobody, not meant to exist. Now I don't know what I am, and, whatever it is, is against the laws of nature. Then again, I suppose that I was that way even as a Nobody. Axel and Roxas are, too. In the end," remarked Naminé, "all Nobodies have emotions. If you've ever seen how one -- a human one, I mean -- reacts before they die, it's not a show. They have no energy left to put on a show."

Shawn felt badly for her, but he didn't say anything more as they entered the study. Naminé jumped and Eye of Truth flashed into Shawn's hand. Leon was leaning against the desk, reading over a piece of worn paper that he was holding. Neither of them had expected to find him in the study. "Leon?" called Naminé.

Leon didn't look up. "Are the others back yet?"

Naminé shook her head but, realizing he couldn't see her, said, "No."

He waved it off. "That's fine. Come here, I have something to show you." They took a few steps and stood on either side of him. "I found another report. Here."

Shawn took it into his hands and read over its contents once. He seemed too shocked to speak. Naminé moved to stand beside him and poked her head over his arm so that she could read, too.

_I thought that I would never find the princesses that lead the three realms, but I was wrong. I recently came upon yet another world, Diamant de Plaines, and decided to visit it. I tried to remain inconspicuous, and I was rather surprised to find that I fit in perfectly. No one recognized me, but this did not much surprise me; denizens of different worlds are usually not aware of the existence of other worlds. This, of course, does not extend to the leaders of each world. All of them know it, but many of them, nowadays, believe that this is just a fairy tale. It makes things very dangerous, I think._

_But enough rambling. While I was visiting this Diamant world, I came across a girl that I think may be one of the Princesses of Heart. I do not know why I think this, but I do. It is deeply settled in my heart, and I am concerned for her. All I can do is keep an eye on her. How? I do not know. The Radiant Garden is so very far from this world. Perhaps I will keep someone there to watch her._

_I could be wrong. In case someone reads this, I will not reveal her identity. Certainly before I am able to be sure about this._

Following the typed words was another entry that had been handwritten.

_Darcie. The name alone is a sure sign that I am correct. I have no doubt now that Darcie is the Princess of Heart hailing from the realm of darkness. It is entirely possible that there are more like her, but I doubt it. Even with a completely tainted heart, she is good and pure. As much so as you can expect a teenagers to be. It has been many years since I typed those other words... In fact, I cannot even remember my first visit to that world. But after I read this on my computer, I knew I had to go back and check around for this princess. Everything rides on finding her. _

_Now that I know I have found her, one out of the three, I am quite sure that I have found the second. Naminé. She is the Nobody of a Princess of Heart, which is unusual. The title of a Princess of Heart hailing from the realm of Nothingness is unusual enough. I have no doubt in my heart that she is the one. I am grateful that Riku did not kill her as I ordered._

_The only one that must be found is the one that should, perhaps, be the easiest and the hardest. The Princess of Heart leading the realm of light._

_I have also discovered the eighth regular Princess of Heart. Her name is-- _

The final sentence was unfinished. Ansem the Wise must have been interrupted while writing and had not bothered to finish it. Unless he hadn't wanted whoever had bothered him to read the report. The paper was folded, torn, and yellowing; it looked like it had been shoved into a pocket numerous times. "He wrote that very recently, and yet he didn't tell anyone about the other princesses," remarked Naminé softly.

"If Darcie is a Princess of Heart, then she might be in danger. More danger than usual," amended Leon. "Should you go to Spira to find her, Katalin, and Kairi?"

Shawn shook his head. "We would never be able to find them, they left so long ago. When they get back, we'll tell them. In the meantime, we might want to keep it between the three of us."

"Why?" asked Naminé with surprised.

He shrugged. "You never know who might be listening."

**XxxxxX**

Kairi put her hands on her knees and Darcie and Katalin moved so that they were forming somewhat of a barrier around her. The Heartless only continued to multiply, as were Dusks. For once, the Heartless and Nobodies worked in unison instead of killing each other. Annoyed, Katalin shouted, "Come out now, Dempsey! Be a man and face us instead of sending your lackeys."

As if she had spoken the magic words, the Heartless and Nobodies disappeared. Dempsey appeared before them in a flash of blue light. "You rang?"

"We know that you know about Darcie," replied Kairi as she stood up and drew to her full height. "There's no point in trying to pretend that you're going to kill us."

Dempsey chuckled. "Oh, is _that _what you thought I was doing? How very cute of you three," he remarked with a smile. "Why would I want to kill two Princesses of Hearts? Or a rather able keyblade wielder, for that matter?" he added to Katalin. "I know that I will win Katalin over eventually, and I need your hearts. If the Heartless take them, then I might not be able to capture them before they float up to Kingdom Hearts."

"Then what exactly was your plan?" demanded Darcie as she pointed Noir's Blossoms at Dempsey.

He shrugged somewhat. "A formality, in case you three were going to be a bigger nuisance than what I could handle. At first, I just wanted to wear you down, Darcie, but when I saw Kairi and Katalin, I knew that I needed to get them, too."

"You can't take all three of us down, even if we're weakened," stated Katalin as she took a few steps toward him. It annoyed her to no end that he never took down his hood so that they could get a better look at him. Aside from that, she hated not seeing someone's face while talking to them. Or fighting. Unless Dempsey had some sort of snake-like face. In which case, Katalin was fine being in the dark. "I might be tired, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let you take away Darcie."

Kairi stood beside her. "Me too. You're going to have to go through us before you even get a chance at Darcie. Even if you defeat us, she'll knock your sorry ass down." Darcie grinned with pride at her two friends.

Dempsey mock-gasped. "Defeat? You think that I am planning on _fighting _the two of you? Oh, no. Your power frightens me too much for me to do that. However, I have my ways to set you down without worrying about that." He placed his hands palm-to-palm and bent his fingers a little as he murmured something in a language that Katalin may have considered some flavor of latin. When he stopped muttering, she tried to move her arm to attack him, but she couldn't. In fact, all she could do was stare forward. Out of her peripheral vision, she noticed Kairi in the same predicament. She wasn't sure how Darcie was. Stone slowly began to build out of the ground, around their bodies. Once it reached their eyes, neither of them could see anything anymore.

"A sorcerer, huh?" remarked Darcie as she raised Noir's Blossoms in front of her body, a protective stance.

"Indeed," agreed as he pushed aside Kairi and Katalin so that he could stand in front of Darcie. "You think that your keyblade will stop it? Perhaps you and your friends should have sought protective armor from that Summoner and her Guardians."

Darcie scowled but said nothing. Dempsey continued, "I know that you assisted in giving Marluxia a heart. He denies it, but I am smarter than he; I know. I also know that you will come with me quickly and quietly."

She raised her armors. "Why the fuck would you think that?"

"Ah, haven't you been paying attention to the fights surrounding you while in this world? All I have to do is bring my falchion down on Kairi or Katalin and they will shatter. Thus, they will die. Of course, I would only do this to Katalin. She would be a nice asset for me to have, but she is not necessary."

Darcie glowered at him. "You wouldn't." She knew that he would, but she really hoped that he would not.

Dempsey laughed. "I suppose that you do not care for your best friend as much as I expected. Well, then. I will just prove to you that I am no joker. Once she is dead, you will no reason to stick around here anyway, correct?" He moved to Katalin as he pulled out his falchion. He raised the blade and brought it down on her head.

"Stop!" screamed Darcie louder than she ever had in her life. She recalled Lulu casting a petrifying spell of some sort in the Thunder Plains, then Auron running forward and slashing the monster with his sword. It had shattered into a million pieces. Dempsey stopped the blade centimeters before hitting Katalin. "I'll go with you. I will. Leave Katalin alone, don't hurt her, and I'll come right now." Noir's Blossoms disappeared from her hand. "I won't even hurt you."

Dempsey seized her arm and roughly pulled her forward. If she had a way to cure Kairi and Katalin she would have kneed him. But she didn't have a way to heal them, and she refused to allow her best friend to die for her sake. As Dempsey summoned a portal, the waters of Zanarkand became rough and began to lick up the platform. "What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Why do you expect that it is _I _doing it?" he replied, a grin in his voice.

"You promised you wouldn't hurt them," protested Darcie.

Dempsey shrugged lamely. "I lied. Besides, wouldn't you like to see Marluxia again? After Auron nearly breaking his neck, I'm sure that he would be more than happy to see you again." Darcie struggled valiantly, but his grip on her was like steel.

"Dormite," murmured Dempsey. Darcie's eyes slid close and her dead weight made her fall mostly to the ground. He whisked her into his arms before disappearing into the portal.

**XxxxxX**

Sora and Riku, at a loss, finally visited Disney Castle. Goofy led them to the library, where King Mickey was standing at the top of a very tall ladder to reach the top shelf of one of the bookcases. He pulled out an old-looking book, bound in pink leather. "Mickey?" called Riku to the King. Sora and Goofy were once again relatively shocked to hear him disregard the title, but said nothing.

King Mickey looked down at them and smiled. "How's it goin', fellas?"

As he climbed down the ladder, Sora answered, "Terrible. All of the known Princesses of Heart we've visited have been captured. The ones we keep thinking are Princesses of Heart aren't. How do we know if someone is a Princess of Heart? Do you know the last three?"

King Mickey answered with a sad smile. "No, Sora, I'm sorry. As for knowing who's a princess and who isn't, it's not that hard, especially for the Keyblade Master. When you find her, your heart will know, trust me. I wish I could be of more help to you fellas."

"Mickey, have all of the Princesses of Heart that we know about -- excluding Kairi -- been captured?" wondered Riku. "Naminé and Shawn are in Wonderland right now, checking up on Alice."

"I checked Enchanted Dominion -- that's Aurora's world, fellas -- and she was already gone." Riku and Sora both nodded; this didn't come as a huge surprise to them. "And I checked Castle of Dreams; Cinderella's already gone, too."

Riku cursed. "Only Kairi's left."

"King Mickey, we have to find those other princesses," Sora almost pleaded.

The King nodded. "I know, fellas, I know. All you can do, for now, is keep a close eye on Naminé and Kairi. Don't send them on anymore trips outside of the Radiant Garden."

"You think the Radiant Garden is safe?" inquired Riku, obviously recalling the invasion led by Maleficent and Organization XIII not too long ago. King Mickey nodded.

"Naminé and Shawn should be just about finished with Wonderland. But I don't know when Darcie, Katalin, and Kairi are going to finish Spira..." murmured Sora.

**XxxxxX**

As the waves became violent, the short-lived magic on Kairi and Katalin faded and they were able to move once again. "Darcie!" shouted Katalin although she knew it was useless. Darcie was long gone. If they had been prepared for Dempsey's magic, then things may have turned out differently, but they had been unwise. Now they were paying for it. "Fuck!"

Kairi gently put a hand on her arm. "Calm down. We have to be level-headed; we have to get out of here. Ouch," she hissed as a wave hit her leg. The water was nearly impossible to see through now; it had turned a sickly purple. The area where the wave had hit Kairi's leg was bleeding. She threw a shocked glance at Katalin, who appeared just as perturbed about it.

"We have to get out of here, but we obviously can't swim through the water. What are we going to do?" demanded Katalin. "Next time Dempsey shows up, I'm going to kill him. If we see Seymour again, I'll kill him, too." Her cheeks were flushed with red from anger, and her eyes were livid. As if Katalin's realization that the water was too dangerous to navigate through was some sort of spell, the water parted like the red sea. Neither of them questioned it and instead jumped down to the very depths of the ocean and started across their open path. When they reached the end, a beam that appeared to be holding up the street, Katalin cursed again. "What are we going to do now?" murmured Kairi, biting her lip.

"Have a little faith!" called a familiar voice from above. They looked up to find a certain blonde with black spirals in her green eyes waving at them. "We'll help you!"

"Who's 'we'?" asked Katalin. She tried to make her tone less intense, but it was proving rather difficult. Her eyes were still livid.

Paine appeared beside Rikku. She threw down a long rope. "Hurry and climb. Who knows how long that spell will last?" she remarked. Kairi and Katalin quickly followed her directions and climbed to the top.

"Did either of you cast the spell?" asked Kairi. They both shook their heads.

"I've never seen magic like that," confessed Rikku. "I thought one of you did it."

"No..." replied Katalin slowly. She had an idea of who had done it, but it didn't make any sense."Enough of your thoughts," said Paine. "Let's hurry and get out of here."

Kairi and Katalin followed her as she started in the opposite direction. Katalin caught up with her. "How did you get here?"

Paine shrugged. "No clue." She climbed onto some sort of machinery. It had a long bed and a large fan at the top in order to, Kairi guessed, move it along. **(A/n: That's hard to describe. It's called a hover. Look it up on final fantasy wiki if you're curious. Dx'') **

Rikku climbed on after her and stood behind a steering wheel. "Come on, get on. We have to hurry back to the others." Hesitantly, Kairi and Katalin climbed onto the bed and sat themselves down. The machine roared to life as Rikku pressed a button on it. "This is a machina, if you were curious. A Hover." As the Hover started swiftly down the street, Kairi expected Rikku to have more discretion. Most people strongly disliked machina in Spira, they had learned, due to the situation with Sin. Besides, she could easily run over and kill people.

No one seemed to be outside. The sky flickered, like it was fading in and out of existence. Katalin glanced back to see if anyone was watching them from a window, or something. "Look out, Kairi!" Katalin had to shout in order for the other girl to hear her over the roaring of the wind as the Hover sped down the street. Instead, Kairi looked at her, making Katalin's head spin for a moment as she recalled her Uncle doing the same thing and, as a result, losing his heart to a Neoshadow. So, Katalin gently pushed down Kairi and ducked at the same time as the laser shots from Gun Arrows and Sniper Nobodies sailed over their heads.

"Xigbar?" growled Kairi as she also looked back. She had her feet hooked into some sort of metal ring, and her hands were grasping the grate that made up the bed. Xigbar, riding his own Hover, was following swiftly behind them with an excited grin on his face. Sniper Nobodies were also following on, what looked like, smaller Hovers.

Katalin had to thank some divine source for giving her the strength to still think with her head and not her heart. With Darcie gone, she wasn't sure how she was able to think at all. She inhaled deeply when she realized that she was close to losing it. "Can you two do something to stop them?" asked Rikku as she sharply turned the hover to avoid a laser shot. "That's kinda distracting."

"I still don't get how you two get here?" replied Kairi as she pointed Radiant Destiny at Xigbar's hover. "Waterga!" A stream of water hit it and knocked him back, slowing him down just a little."No clue," answered Rikku as she turned the Hover. "We shouldn't be able to; this is the Dream Zanarkand. But once we got to the real Zanarkand, while taking a break, Tidus kinda looked at us and... here we are!"

"What are the others doing?" asked Katalin before muttering a firaga spell. She pointed her keyblade at a gas line on the road, and a wall of fire rose up. "If that doesn't at the very least slow him down, then we're screwed."

"They're taking a break before going to see Lady Yunalesca," responded Paine. "We have to find a way to get back." Kairi exchanged a glance with Katalin. If they were right and Tidus had been able to send Rikku and Paine here, then it was because he thought that they could help them with whatever was to come. But they were only a duo now. "Where's Darcie?"

Katalin shook her head and inhaled deeply. "Gone. They took her," she answered in a soft whisper. "I don't know what we'll do next..."

"But why would they take her?" wondered Rikku. "Nobodies!" She added nervously and quickly.

Thinking it was safe at last, Kairi and Katalin stood up and looked in the direction that Rikku was driving. Sure enough, some number around a million Dusks and Creepers were blocking the remainder of the forced the Hover to stop a few feet in front of the Nobodies. "Now what?" murmured Paine in a pessimistic tone that Kairi did not approve of.

She jumped off the Hover without a second thought. "Destroy them," she replied before rushing at the large Heartless. Her words were easier said than done. Katalin and Kairi were already pretty worn down and had trouble taking on the Heartless. Paine weaved through the crowd perfectly, and Rikku moved skillfully. The two of them weren't enough to take care of all the Nobodies, and Kairi and Katalin weren't energized enough to be of much use.

A Dusk slunk to the ground and wrapped itself around Rikku's legs. She cried out as it kicked out and knocked her into the side of a building. One Dusk knocked Kairi to the ground while a Creeper transformed into a sword. The sword sailed through the air, and Katalin quickly hurled Beautiful Disaster at it. When the sword struck, it struck the ground just in front of Kairi's knees. The sky flickered in and out once more, but it didn't stop this time. As it flickered, they heard Auron calling Rikku's name and the others looking around. As the sky where they were turned orange, they could see Yuna and the others gathered in center of a bunch of rubble, the remains of some sort of building.

"Yunie!" called Rikku, reaching out to her cousin. She and Paine looked just as puzzled about the changing of the scenery, but the Nobodies seemed to follow them no matter what. The four of them fell into a heap in the middle of the swarm of Nobodies, and the sky permanently turned orange, as did the scene with Yuna and the others. The Nobodies still remained.

Wakka jumped at the sudden appearance of the white creatures, and the girls. Yuna cast a Holy spell that took out some of the Nobodies closest to Paine, Rikku, Kairi, and Katalin. Auron, quite literally, jumped into the fray and stood in front of Rikku. Once the others got over their initial shock, they joined in the fray and destroyed the remaining Nobodies. "What happened, 'uh?" asked Wakka.

"Good question," replied Kairi. "Seymour used his magic to send Darcie, Katalin, and I to Zanarkand, but not this Zanarkand."

"Darcie," murmured Yuna. "Where is she?"

Katalin shook her head. "We were surrounded by Heartless, the three of us, then he came out of no where and used some sort of petrification spell on Kairi and me. I don't know what happened after that, but when we were freed from the spell, the water was purple and poisonous. And Darcie was--" She broke off, unable to go.

"Gone. Dempsey must have taken her while we were petrified," murmured Kairi, glancing at Katalin, who was digging her nails into her palms. "Tidus, what--?" She broke herself off and shook her head before taking a few steps toward him. "We need to talk later."

He nodded his agreement. "Later."

"Can we take a break before we go inside?" begged Rikku. "I'm _so _exhausted... and we should be fully rested for the trials, right?"

Auron smiled, but it wasn't visible from behind his collar. "I agree that we could use a momentary break." The way he spoke told them that there was something he wasn't saying. He almost seemed eager to put off a trip to the Cavern of Fayth in Zanarkand.

**XxX**

It was nighttime when they finally moved on and headed inside of the cave. They learned quickly that the pyreflies -- bright orbs of light that looked like fireflies -- reacted to the memories of those inside of the cave. Even those of the guardians and summoners who had already died long ago. Almost instantly, the pyreflies reacted to Auron's presence. Visions of a younger version of himself, Yuna's father, and Tidus' father continued to appear and move around. Katalin jumped at their appearance, for the spectral visions ran up from behind them, like real people. Real people that walked right through you.

"Tidus, I thought you lived with your _parents _on Destiny Islands? You too, Wakka!" added Kairi to her other childhood friend.

Tidus shook his head. "Adopted parents. Both of my parents died.""Mine too," remarked Wakka.

Kairi ran a hand through her hair. Ever since they had arrived in Spira, Kairi had begun to think that she didn't know her childhood friends at all. Then again, she had to remind herself that she knew almost nothing about her life before Destiny Islands. Almost everything before the age of four was a foggy mystery to her. Maybe... it was the same for Tidus and Wakka. Maybe returning to their birth world reminded them.

Why didn't the same work for her?

"Tidus!" Rikku's sharp cry tore Kairi from her thoughts. She glanced around wildly. One minute, she had been walking without paying attention to her surroundings and, the next, two of her friends were gone. Tidus and Katalin had disappeared.

**XxX**

Katalin wasn't sure what had happened, only that she was back in Zanarkand. The other Zanarkand. Kairi wasn't with her, but she wasn't alone; Tidus was standing beside her. "What happened?" she asked him, to which he answered with a weak shrug.

"Not sure. Do you know where this is? This is the Zanarkand I've dreamed about for a long time. Dream Zanarkand," he informed her. "Let's... go inside. There." He pointed to a door. She began to follow him, but noticed something out of the corner of her eye. A man was standing on a dock to her right. Instead of following Tidus, she ran toward the man. Even from behind, he looked familiar... "Katalin! Hey!" Tidus called to her, but she ignored him. "Alright, fine."

She wondered why he couldn't see the man. If he could, she wondered why he was ignoring his presence; they could ask him what was going on. Tidus simply entered the door of the boat that was docked onto the pier. "Who are you?" Katalin called to the man.

He chuckled. "What, don't you recognize me? That hurts me deeply, darling."

"Darling?" repeated Katalin with disbelief and anger. "Who _are _you?' The man turned toward her and she had to stifle a gasp. Standing before her was a rather tall, older man with rich brown hair and bright blue eyes. At first, she couldn't see the similarity until she picked out her lips on his face, her cheekbones beneath his skin... He was her... "Father," replied the man. "Don't you remember me?"

"How could I? You abandoned me when I was still young," she replied, her hands balled into fists. This was Tidus' Zanarkand; it was different from the other one. Maybe she was just imagining him.

"Isn't this place lovely? You and your mother would have loved to live somewhere like this," he remarked. "The three of us would have had a nice time. Then again, of course we would have. It is but a dream."

Katalin stood up a little straighter and regarded her father with suspicion. "A dream? Then, is this...?"

"A dream," answered her father. "But a reality for some. Like your friend, Tidus." As Katalin's father spoke his name, Tidus reemerged and ran up the top of the boat to speak to a small child dressed in purple. The purple hood hid its face from view.

"You are a dream of the fayth," the child informed Tidus. "As was your mother and father..."

Tidus shook his head. "Then, how is this possible? How was it possible for me to leave Spira and go to Destiny Islands?"

"We, the fayth, knew that if you were to meet the Keyblade Master and other keyblade wielders and befriend them at a young age, then all of you could help defeat Sin. The same was thought of Wakka, so he was also sent to Destiny Islands by the fayth," answered the boy.

"Then, is Wakka...?"

The child shook his head. "No. He's real. We need you, Wakka, the keyblade wielders, and all of the other Guardians to defeat Sin for good. But, when we do..."

Katalin turned back toward her father as the child's words were softened and lost to her ears. "Then, what are you?"

"Also a dream," replied her father, still staring at the buildings across the water. "Or am I? Do you want me to become real, Katalin? Do you miss me? I know that you no longer have a father figure in your life."

So he knew about her uncle. Her nails bit into her palms with such force that she was quite sure the skin would break. But she didn't care. "How dare you speak of him? You're undeserving of speaking of _anyone _being the terrible person that you are."

"Harsh words, my dear. How can you bring yourself to speak to your father that way? There must be more under your skin than you're willing to admit," he said offhandedly. "Tell me what's on your mind. I'm your father; I'll help you with anything."

Katalin scoffed. "Liar," she hissed. "It's just that... You... You..."

The night sky began to change colors without warning. It became volatile purple, pink and red colors, like those that appeared before a violent storm. Katalin's father turned toward her. For a moment, her father looked different. He didn't look like him at all. But, at the same time, he did. "Wake up, Katalin! Kat!" a voice was shouting. Kairi appeared to her right, but she was fuzzy and looked like a projection.

"Tidus! Katalin!" yelled Rikku, appearing beside Kairi and looking just as fuzzy.

"Come on, Kat. Get up," another voice pleaded. Shawn was standing to her left and looked feathery. She had no doubt that she was dreaming of him. Katalin reached out and grabbed his shirt. Much to her surprise, she was able to clench it in her hands. "There you go, Kat." He said with a smile as he pulled her into a tight embrace and patted her back. Just as quickly, he was gone. The loss of warmth almost hurt her.

"Come now, Katalin. Don't you wish that you could just stay here and dream forever? If you were to do that, then they would come back..." Her father trailed off as the feathery forms of Darcie and Shawn reappeared, smiling. "You would never have to be alone."

Katalin scowled. "Even if Darcie is gone right now, I'll get her back, even if it's the last thing I do. And Shawn's still here, just not right now. He's in other worlds, trying to help the princesses with Naminé."

A smile twitched at the corners of her father's lips. "If that is what you wish..." Everyone disappeared, and Katalin's eyes flew open. She found Rikku and Kairi standing directly over her, startling her something awful.

Katalin jumped and knocked her head into Kairi's. The redhead pulled back and rubbed her forehead. "Nice to see you're okay," remarked the princess dryly.

"Wake up, Tidus! Please!" pleaded Yuna, standing near Katalin, and perched over Tidus' unconscious form.

"What happened?" asked Lulu as she approached Katalin.

Katalin glanced up. "We were dreaming. It was... so strange. I saw my..."

Tidus' eyes flew open, and he jumped up, startling everyone. Yuna backed into Katalin and commenced to apologize vehemently until Rikku said, "Tidus, what happened? We were so worried!"

"I just blacked out. I dreamed..." he trailed off and shook his head. "It doesn't matter. We should get moving, right?"

Everyone regarded him with suspicious stares, but nodded their agreement as they continued through the cavern. Less Heartless than before were appearing. In fact, only a few appeared every once in a while. Mostly, there was just regular fiends. "Fiends are the pyreflies of an Unsent," remarked Auron offhandedly to Kairi, Katalin, and Rikku. It was offhanded, but they knew he didn't speak unless it was mostly necessary. There was something more he wanted them to draw from his sentence, but... they couldn't even begin to guess what.

* * *

**A/n: Next chapter I'll prolly have the Sin fight... It should be fun. xD' I really want to do it, so I'm not going to stop, though I know I have a LOT of Final Fantasy in here. Sorry to those of you who... I don't know. Don't like it. xD' If there's any of you like that out there. Darcie's capture has been planned since the decision she was going to be a princess, for the record. Her name means 'of the dark' btw. Since I played FFX, I've been planning on how Darcie's capture would look. Anyway, enough facts for the day. See you in the next chapturr.**


	19. The Best of Friends Must Part

**Chapter Nineteen:**  
"The Best of Friends Must Part"

**A/n: Back to another chapter of Final Fantasy X-heavy shit. xD' Sorry. The title is a quote I found. One without a source. Dx' Wow. Chapter nineteen! So exciting. :D Thank you to Azrael and Lesser for your reviews. Onto another long chapter! Last Spira chapter! Please listen to the song.**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy (X). Spoilers for the end of Final Fantasy X are in this chapter! Read at your own risk!**

_'If I turn into another,_

_Dig me up from under what is covering_

_The better part of me._

_Sing this song,_

_Remind me that we'll always have each other_

_When everything else is gone.'_

**-"Dig" by Incubus**

**

* * *

  
**

Yunalesca may have once been beautiful. Perhaps she was even beautiful standing before them with her skimpy outfit and long, flowing silver hair. But the fact that she was attacking them spoke enough about her. Auron rushed in, beside Tidus and Yuna with a livid expression. "Now! This is it! Now is the time to choose! Die and be free of pain or live and fight your sorrow! Now is the time to shape your stories! Your fate is in your hands!" **(A/n: Real quote from FFX.) **The fight passed by easily enough. Auron, Tidus, Kimahri, and Paine landed strong attacks on her with their blades while Yuna and Lulu casted strong magic from afar. "Am I the only one who finds it ironic that an ex-summoner is extremely susceptible light magic?" asked Kairi.

Rikku and Katalin grinned. "Very funny," agreed Katalin. "Kairi. You're a Princess of Heart, right?"

Kairi raised her eyebrows. "Didn't we establish this a while ago?" she asked tiredly. Katalin knew that Kairi didn't mean to be harsh; she was tired and upset. In fact, Kairi would have been more than understanding if Katalin had reacted the same, but she wasn't. Katalin had come to terms with the fact that she would find Dempsey, ask him where Darcie was, and kill him the next time that she saw him. Kairi didn't have the heart to tell her it likely wouldn't work that way.

"You can use your light to help annihilate Yunalesca is my point," stated Katalin, mostly unoffended. She, Kairi, and Rikku were the only ones watching from afar because they were trying to regain their strength. If anyone was in need, one of them would switch in and help. But it made more sense for Kairi to go in at that moment and attack. Smiling, Kairi nodded her agreement and ran to join Yuna.

Kairi threw her hands in front of her. "Light!" she cried at the same time as Yuna shouted, "Holy!"

The light magic pierced through Yunalesca's body, making her scream in pain. Following the attack, Yunalesca did not die or disappeared. Instead, she changed. Her body changed and everyone but Kimahri, Auron, and Paine visibly cringed. Yunalesca was now nothing more than a giant, olive-green snake-like head with snakes in her hair. "Let's hurry and finish her off. I never want to look at something like this again," remarked Paine, surprising Yuna in a light giggle.

**XxX**

The area was absolutely breath-taking and beautiful. It had taken a while -- quite a few hundred miles of walking and taking the airship, and a few attacks to Sin from the top of the airship, but they had made it. They were inside of Sin. The sky was bright, and the water was one of the brightest blues that Katalin had ever seen. It was also extremely cloudy in parts and hard to see, let alone hard to find their way. "How will we know where to go?" murmured Kairi. Her voice sounded loud in the quietness.

Tidus glanced back at her and grinned. "I can find him. I can _feel _him."

Katalin managed a small smile when Kairi glanced at her and grinned. She had yet to tell her what she had heard about Tidus. She had yet to tell her about what she had seen at all. Tidus obviously wanted it to remain a secret, so she would respect his wishes. Hers was too hard to explain, so it wasn't worth going through. Her dreams, while strange, had proved to be...

Her dreams had proven to be correct so far, but that one had just been so _cryptic. _It may have actually just been a dream. For her, at least. For Tidus... not so much. Kairi's grip was suddenly on Katalin's arm, forcing her to look up. She had noted the change from water to stairs but only now did she realize that they had company. "I must thank you for destroying Yunalesca," remarked Seymour, his voice making him sound like he was on the verge of hysterical laughter. "Now Sin can live forever!"

Tidus groaned. "Do you _ever _give up on trying to become Sin? You can't become him any longer!"

"And I do not want to," reassured Seymour. "I will _control _Sin, and once I do, he will destroy Spira!"

Katalin narrowed her eyes as Beautiful Disaster flashed into her hand. "I'm holding you responsible for Darcie's capture. We're going to destroy you, Seymour!"

Seymour laughed. "I'd like to see you try!"

Yuna smiled and as Seymour lifted himself between the four discs, turned toward Auron. "Sir Auron, I need you to break down Seymour's defenses."

Auron didn't question her; maybe he already knew what she was planning. Instead, he nodded and ran forward almost immediately. He raised his katana and slammed it down with more force than Kairi or Katalin had seen him use yet. Seymour cried out a little, and Yuna beckoned Katalin closer. "I think I will be needing your strength later, Katalin, but I promise -- I _promise _that you get to land the final blow. Alright?"

Katalin blinked. "Yuna, what are you planning...?"

"You'll see," was all she said before waving everyone away. Yuna raised her rod, and the familiar green light that tended to appear when she was to summon appeared. The sky became red and black as a hook fell from the sky and plunged into a portal that resembled magma. The hook pulled up a rather familiar Aeon, and everyone but Tidus was puzzled at her appearance. As Anima roared a roar of pain of eons, Yuna murmured, "I feel your pain." Sympathy and something else glimmered in her eyes.

Seymour glared at the Aeon. "You will oppose me as well? So be it!" he hissed before attacking the Aeon with five Blizzaga spells that only seemed to succeed in angering Anima.

Anima roared as Seymour was sucked into a portal beneath her. Below there, her other head showed itself and broke her bonds. She held out her arms and sent energy blast after energy blast at the crazed Maester. When Seymour resurfaced, he appeared dazed. With a wave of his arm, he shouted, "Return to hell, where you belong. Leave my presence!" The Aeon disappeared from whatever realm she had appeared, and Yuna was thrown backwards as if he had physically attacked her.

Tidus caught her easily and pulled her against him. "Go, go, go!" he ordered the others.

Seymour's eyes widened. "Can you feel it? That power..." He licked his lips. "Such power that I have never seen!"

"Oh, no," gasped Kairi. Before anyone had the chance to ask her what was wrong, they got their answer. Seymour's gray eyes brightened to a neon yellow and purple and black smoke began to lift off of his body. "Heartless."

Katalin bit her lip. "But if we defeat him, won't he lose his heart...?"

"I don't think he's a Heartless," offered Rikku. "I think he's just utilizing the power of darkness."

Auron took a few steps forward with his katana shouldered. "Let's hurry and defeat him -- whatever he is. Kairi, utilize your light. Katalin, use your keyblade; it may be one of the most effective weapons on him. The rest of you, use what you have." Wakka, Kairi, and Lulu kept their distance while the others ran in with their weapons.

Yuna remained motionless, and Tidus continued to protectively hold her in his arms as he sat down. It didn't much matter, not to him. He knew the others were more than covered with all of the people attacking Seymour. "Tidus?" murmured Yuna so softly that he was sure he had been imagining it for a moment.

"Yeah?" he asked as he glance down at her.

She reached up and touched his cheek. "You won't leave me, right?"

Somehow, Tidus managed to force a smile. "Of course not, but I really want to play Blitzball all of a sudden..." A Shadow materialized in front of him, and he cursed lightly.

"It's alright, Tidus. I can stand. I'm okay," she reassured him. Although he didn't believe it, Tidus stood and gently set Yuna on her feet before swiping at the Heartless. They stood back to back, destroying the Heartless together.

"Resistance is futile! Give into the darkness!" ordered Seymour. He snapped and bolts of darkness rained down from the sky and hit them.

Rikku fell backwards and stared up at the sky. A few more bolts were raining down and were just about to hit her. Three weapons deflected them back at Seymour. One was a katana, and the other two were keyblades. "Thanks." Auron pulled her back to her feet and Kairi shook her head.

"This isn't working; we need a new plan."

Yuna stood beside her. "Why don't we concentrate holy and your light?"

"If everyone can utilize their light, then why don't we all just utilize our light?" suggested Lulu.

Kairi smiled. "That's a great idea. Let's do it, everyone. Summon all of the light in your heart, and we'll use it against Seymour." She clutched at her heart with one hand, and everyone followed suit. One by one, everyone put down their weapons and summoned their light. "Light!" shouted Kairi, her voice one in seven as everyone cried with her.

Light shot into the sky and joined together in the sky. Some of the beams were smaller than the others. Several of them were particularly large, including Yuna and Kairi's, but she couldn't tell to whom the other bigger ones belonged. The beams reflected together in the air and hit Seymour square in the chest. His scream filled the quiet air as his eyes fell back into his skull and he slowly fell to his knee. White smoke was lifting off of him as he collapsed.

"Yuna, Send him. I would hate to see him rise up yet again," remarked Tidus. "I'd hate to see it because the next time I see him, I'm going to send my sword right through his heart."

"Kimahri already try that, no?" pointed out the Ronso as Yuna stepped forward with her rod, Seymour's blood pooling around him. "You will be Sending me after all, Lady Yuna, but it matters not. Spira is damned if I die, and damned if I don't."

Yuna ignored his words as she danced whilst twirling the rod. Auron, standing farther off to the side, watched as Seymour's body disappeared. Chilled by what was to come or what had already happened, Rikku pressed herself against him. "Rikku..." He trailed off and shook his head.

"Let's hurry up and find my dad," said Tidus.

**XxxxxX**

"They've been gone for so long," murmured Naminé as she sat herself near the fireplace in Merlin's living room. She was clenching a golden blanket tightly as her eyes bore into the flickering of the flames.

Shawn shrugged. "I bet it means nothing. They'll be back soon. Maybe they found old friends or something."

Naminé nodded. "Yeah, maybe Wakka and Tidus are on Spira," she agreed. The creaking of the front door made her eyes and Shawn's snap away from the fire and to the entrance.

Riku and Sora slowly entered the house, looking stressed and tired. The sky behind them was dark blue and filled with stars. "How was Wonderland?" called Riku although he had an idea of the answer.

"Do you have to ask?" groaned Shawn. "Alice got captured."

Before either of the other two could say anything, Naminé quickly remarked, "I shouldn't have let Pete or the Heartless get the best of me. It's not Shawn's fault." Sora and Riku raised their eyebrows and glanced at each other.

"We're not having great luck. The only princesses left are you, Kairi, and the three other princesses. Unless Maleficent got them, too," muttered Sora before collapsing on the couch. "Have you found any leads on the others?"

It was Naminé and Shawn's turn to exchange a glance. "Yeah. Here." Shawn pulled the folded up, yellowing paper to Sora. Riku, with a granola bar in hand, read over Sora's shoulder.

"Darcie. Fuck," was all Riku could find himself able to say, his mouth hanging open a little.

"And Di--Ansem was interrupted before he could write down the other princess's name?" asked another voice, unfamiliar to Shawn's ears. A blue light engulfed Sora's body and a boy with golden blond hair spiked in a less lethal way than Sora's appeared beside him, standing near Naminé.

Naminé's eyes widened and she quickly scrambled to her feet. "Roxas..." He turned toward her and smiled. She freed her arm from the blanket and reached out to him, only to have her hand pass right through. "Oh."

"Should we go to Spira?" inquired Riku, acting as if blond boys walked out of his best friend every day.

Shawn jumped to his feet. "Wait. Who's this? What's going on?"

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Did you not hear Naminé say my name? The name's Roxas." He cut himself off before he could recite his best friend's favorite line. "Shawn, right?" He regarded the brunet with the same amount of scrutiny that Riku had for some time.

Shawn nodded, his eyes mostly turned toward the window. A black raven, Diablo, flew past it and landed somewhere above. Perhaps the bird was hoping to hear more. "The others must know, right?" asked Riku.

Naminé shook her head. "Aside from us and now you, only Leon knows. Shawn was worried..."

"You think we can't trust the others?" remarked Sora and Roxas sharply.

Shawn held up his hands. "Wouldn't you rather be safe than sorry?"

"I'd rather..." Riku broke off his sentence with a shake of his head. "I'm wiped, completely ready for bed. We can talk about this in the morning. Sora, you can tell the others when you see them, alright?"

"What about Kairi, Katalin, and Darcie?" asked Sora.

Naminé and Shawn shook their heads. "No word. None. They must still be there."

**XxxxxX**

After what seemed like too long, too many battles against monsters and Heartless (which had grown in number since Seymour's defeat), and a stressful walk through a maze, they came to a door. A bright white light flashed, and they found themselves standing at the top of a Blitzball stadium. The water was deactivated, and someone appeared to be standing where the water globe would be, staring in the opposite direction of them. Katalin knew where they were. "Dream Zanarkand again? I'm getting sick of this place."

Kairi flashed her a confused look while Tidus confessed, "Me, too. Too many memories."

"What...?" Rikku tried to ask, but Auron silenced her with a held up hand. The group made their way down to see the person at the bottom of the stadium. When they reached him, Auron and Tidus stood at the head of the group. The man was wearing shorts, and they sort of resembled Tidus' pants as an orange cloth was hanging over one of his legs, making one short leg shorter than the other. He was extremely muscular but had deep scars running through his chest. His rich brown hair just about reached his shoulders, and there was a red scarf tied around his head. Kairi and Katalin recognized him as the man from Tidus' memories, which they'd had a glimpse of before ending up in the desert with him and Darcie.

"The two of you really took your time, huh?" the man rasped without turning to face them.

"I know, Jecht," agreed Auron in a heavy voice.

"But my boy's back, I see. Years after living on an island, living a lie..." Jecht turned to face them, folding his arms as he scrutinized Tidus. "But, man, have you gotten big since I last saw you."

Tidus shook his head. "I grew up, dad." The air between them was awkward, and Tidus didn't seem happy. Spira must have done something for his memories, because he seemed to have remembered things about Jecht that he didn't like.

It was the way that Katalin had spoken to her father, she realized with a jolt. "Tidus, Tidus... I'm proud of you." Tidus' head snapped up, and he stared at the other man incredulously. "You know what has to be done, Tidus. Yuna. Auron," he added to the others.

Kimahri's eyes searched the sky as he noticed light floating around, "It comes."

"Take me out. Save me from myself. Now!" roared Jecht.

Yuna glanced at Kairi, who nodded. "Light. We'll use light again," decided the Summoner although she was obviously pained by having to hurt one of her father's good friends. No one disagreed. "Light!" she cried with the others, who concentrated their light once more. The light shot out from each person's heart and joined in the sky before deflecting and hitting Jecht squarely in the chest. Jecht faced the light with a welcoming expression and a smile. As he fell, he didn't cry out.

Tidus rushed forward and bent over his father. "This is it, now. Yu Yevon comes."

"If we defeat Yu Yevon, then Sin will never come back and Spira will be safe!" cheered Rikku despite the seriousness of the moment. She clenched onto Auron's arm.

Jecht shot Auron a knowing look and a grin. "Don't you dare cry, crybaby. Your memories of me can't be that strong to make you act this way."

"They can," argued Tidus as he wiped away his tears with his hands. "I promised to help you, dad. I'll see you soon," he added in a whisper. He moved away from his father as his body scattered away in the form of pyreflies.

The light crashed in front of them, making them fall to the ground. The area changed, the platform becoming longer and floating through some sort of space, surrounded by golden light. "Summon the Aeons, Yuna," Jecht's voice along with Tidus', Auron's, and the child's ordered. She nodded as she tightly grasped the rod in her hands. Yuna stood alone in the center of the platform. A look was in everyone's eyes; no one wanted her to be alone.

At the same time, for some, there was no choice. The majority of them were wiped from using their light. Tidus, Katalin, and Auron stepped up to help Yuna one final time. "Let's do this, Yuna," remarked Katalin confidently.

**XxxxxX**

"Maybe you could set me up in, I don't know, a nice room?" growled Darcie as she clenched the bars of her cell.

Dempsey chuckled as he walked away. "I don't think so. You can't be trusted. How do I know that you won't attempt to break my neck the minute I let you out?"

"Because you can always just petrify me and shatter me into a million pieces if I don't do what you want, right?" she snarled viciously, but Dempsey didn't turn around to address her. He simply stopped in the middle of the brick corridor and laughed.

"I couldn't do that even if I wanted to. Your power is necessary to me."

"Why? Tell me!" Dempsey disregarded her completely and exited the dungeon without another word. Darcie gave in and moved to the back of the cell where a rather nice, feather bed was. There were no other inhabitants in the dungeon; Maleficent had to be the only one catching all of the princesses. "This blows. Now what do I do?" Darcie grabbed a modestly sized rock and ran back to the bars.

A cloaked figure was approaching her. Dempsey must have forgotten to harass her some more. Well, she was ready now. Darcie hurled the rock as hard as she could at his face. A flash of light emitted, and the rock was deflected by a weapon that was most definitely not Dempsey's, a red chakram. "Axel?" hissed Darcie.

"I see you're in high spirits," remarked Axel cheerfully as he threw his hood off and approached her. "You just got here and you're already going crazy."

"Crazy is a word for it," agreed Darcie. "Pissed off is another. Kairi and Katalin--"

Axel raised an eyebrow. "What, you want me to check on them for you?"

Darcie shook her head. "No. I feel like I would... know if something happened to them. Especially Katalin, you know? Call me crazy. What are you doing here, anyway?"

He put his hand over hers, the one that was gripping the bar too tightly to be healthy. "Relax, Darc. I'm your _friend_, remember?"

"Can people really trust others that they don't really know? Because I'm starting to wonder," murmured Darcie.

"Wonder about who?" inquired Axel. He didn't move his hand, and Darcie didn't ask him to.

Darcie sighed. "Do you have time?"

"All the time in the worlds."

**XxxxxX**

Yuna looked pained as she summoned her final Aeon, Valefor. She was her oldest Aeon, the first, and their bond showed. Valefor was birdlike and mostly red and orange in color with purple legs, tail, and tops and bottoms of her wings. As she summoned Valefor, she reached out in order to stroke the bird's neck. Valefor became an icy color that shifted to every other color of the rainbow spectrum as Yu Yevon's light sank into her, and she replied to Yuna's affection by waving her wings, sending a gust of wind that knocked the Summoner backwards.

She sank to one knee and caught herself with her hand. "Don't worry about me; take care of... Take care of Valefor!" she ordered, her voice breaking a little.

Tidus nodded before looking toward Auron and Katalin. "Feel like teaming up on this one?" They both nodded in response. "Follow my lead." The three of them were suddenly engulfed by light; they looked back. Lulu, Rikku, and Kairi were on their feet.

"We're giving our power to you," explained Rikku. "Knock 'em dead!" she exclaimed with Kairi.

Grinning, Tidus nodded and ran with Auron at Valefor. They slashed at the Aeon together, and Katalin did a vertical slash between them before Tidus and Auron hurled her into the air.

"Catch, Katalin!" called Kairi before throwing her keyblade. Radiant Destiny sailed through the air and was promptly caught in Katalin's free, left hand.

Katalin held the two keyblades above her head before slashing them in a vertical slice at Valefor. Valefor screeched and fell to the ground. Pyreflies lifted off of Valefor and disappeared into the sky as did the Aeon herself. Auron easily caught Katalin as she fell back to the ground and set her down as the others joined them. "That's it, ya?" asked Wakka earnestly.

"No, Wakka. We still have to fight Yu Yevon himself," replied Lulu with a small smile.

Tidus inhaled deeply. "Guys? This is, uh... After this, that's it."

"Of course, Tidus," remarked Paine. "Yu Yevon will be dead after we beat the man himself. You're right." He wasn't sure if he'd ever heard those words out of her mouth, or if he ever would want to hear them again. Not that there would be an again for him.

He shook his head. "What I'm saying is..."

"We have to leave after this, so you'll be fighting without us," pointed out Kairi, gesturing to herself and Katalin. "Is that what you mean?"

Again, Tidus shook his head. "_No_..." He trailed off, unable to find the words to explain himself.

"Life is but a dream," murmured Katalin.

"For the dead," finished Auron with a purposeful look at Rikku.

Rikku raised her eyebrows. "What are you talking about...?"

"I'm going to disappear after this, guys!" shouted Tidus abruptly. "And you'll never see--" He broke off as he turned to face Yuna. A loud murmur was growing from the others, but he had ears only for Yuna.

Too bad Yuna couldn't utter any words. Her green and blue eyes widened before they filled with tears. Her lips trembled and her hands shook. "I... knew something like this... You're a bad liar. A bad, bad liar."

Tidus continued forward, all the way down the platform. "You can't leave yet, Tidus," murmured Kairi. He looked back at her. "We'll all say our goodbyes together. Let's finish this, now."

A light dropped in front of them or, at least, a creature glowing purple with the symbol of Yu Yevon. It slightly resembled a spider with the rusty hooks on its sides. "Yu Yevon... lost who he was by trying to maintain so many things," realized Rikku.

"When Yu Yevon goes, so does the Dream Zanarkand," grunted Auron. "And Tidus."

"Then, let's make this a damn good fight!" shouted Wakka before hurling his ball at Yu Yevon. The ball was blocked and reflected back at Wakka, who ducked.

Smiling somewhat, Lulu took a few steps forward. "Allow me to take care of this?" she asked Tidus and Yuna. Yuna nodded, appearing relieved, and Tidus nodded his agreement. "Like that spell Dempsey cast on you and Kairi, I am capable of using a spell similar, but much more deadly," she informed Katalin and Kairi before muttering something under her breath. Her moogle doll jumped out of her arms and moved in unison with her. A green spell rained upon Yu Yevon, and it began to glow green and black. "Now, any amount of curing magic should do the trick."

The final battle was easy after that. As everyone was already dead tired from the other battles against Sin, this came as a welcomed relief. Everyone (except Wakka, who couldn't use curative magic) cast cures on Yu Yevon until he fell. An orb of light escaped Yu Yevon's body and floated toward the sky while Yu Yevon exploded into a bright light that blinded them all. When the light faded, they found themselves back on the stadium, in the Dream Zanarkand. They moved away from Yuna as she began to dance her Sending ritual.

Yuna stopped, her eyes widening. Everyone followed her gaze to Auron who had pyreflies floating off of him. "Sir Auron...?"

"Auron?!" demanded Rikku, moving in front of him. She took his shirt in her hands and clenched it as if it was her last anchor to earth. "What's happening?"

"I tried to tell you," he murmured. "But I couldn't. I'm an Unsent, Rikku. That image you saw of my younger self going after Yunalesca before we fought her... that happened. She killed me."

Rikku shook her head earnestly, her eyes widening. "No," she whispered. He put his hands to hers; they were surprisingly gentle.

"My work here is done, Yuna. You must send Yu Yevon and Sin. Go on, continue," he remarked before turning his attention back to Rikku. "Rikku, I..." Tears were sliding down her face; Auron looked around for assistance. Paine grabbed Rikku with more gentleness than either girl were used to Paine using as she gently took Rikku away from Auron.

Auron moved forward and stopped beside Yuna. "Braska would be proud, Yuna." Without another glance, he took a few more steps, and his body disappeared as the pyreflies floated away. There was no sound for a moment aside from Rikku crying.

For the final time, Yuna danced. She put her heart, soul, and mind into it as she whirled and twirled with the other Aeons hovering in the air around her. It was the end of Sin, and, as it disappeared, no one seemed to be able to be happy. The resulting explosion spread around for miles until it finally stopped and faded. And as Sin became no more, Yuna continued to dance, and the Aeons also disappeared. "Tidus, your hands..." murmured Kairi, her voice sounding like she was on the brink of tears. Katalin forced her eyes down to Tidus' hands, too.

They were fading away. They were blue and fading away. Yuna looked at Tidus and shook her head in complete defiance. Tidus smiled and put his hands on his hips. "I have to go. You all know what I am now; you have to know that I can't come back. I don't want to leave, but..."

Again, Yuna shook her head. She shook it vigorously. "It's time, Yuna," whispered Tidus. "Kairi... tell Sora and Riku to take good care of themselves. Get Darcie back, too. Good luck with... everything. But I have to go. Goodbye." Tidus smiled at those around him before taking a running leap.

Rikku took a few steps forward and reached out. Auron was already gone, and Katalin wasn't sure if the Al Bhed girl could hold herself together much longer. Wakka looked lost. He and Tidus had been best friends for forever; Tidus was like his younger brother. "Tidus! We'll see you again!" cried Rikku. "I know we will!"

As Tidus started away, Yuna ran after him. He knew it because Kimahri growled, "Yuna!" She outstretched her arms and reached out toward him. Tidus, wearing a sad smile, turned back around and held his arms out to her. Yuna passed right through him and fell to the ground.

"Yuna!" Rikku shouted before running to join her cousin. "Yunie, Yunie..." She helped her cousin to her feet. Katalin made a noise and, with a confused expression, Rikku joined her. "What is it?"

Katalin gently grabbed Rikku's arm. "I think you should... let Yuna do this on her own."

"And me? What about me?" asked Rikku as her emerald eyes filled with tears and her lower lip trembled. "What do I do?"

Kairi replied by putting an arm around Rikku and Katalin before drawing them into a circle. "You find comfort with your new friends," she answered, her eyes filling with tears as she gazed at the fading Tidus.

"I love you," whispered Yuna without looking at Tidus. Looking pained, he turned around and attempted to put his arms around her. Yuna couldn't feel his touch, but she appreciated the attempt. She closed her eyes. "I always loved you. I would have never married Seymour willingly, because I had you."

Smiling, Katalin murmured, "This is the part where Darcie would say, 'Which is fine, because I would have married him in a heartbeat _for _you!'"

"I love you, too," murmured Tidus before his body faded completely. He walked right through Yuna and perched himself at the edge of the ship. With one glance backward, and a final wave, he jumped. Everyone followed Yuna as she stood at the edge of the ship in order to watch Tidus.

But that wasn't all they saw.

Rikku gasped quietly as she saw Auron, standing next to the man they knew to be Jecht. "Auron!" she called, waving. A sad smile touched her lips and she added, softly, "Goodbye, Auron." Tidus high-fived his father's hand.

Auron waved at them. With his eyes on Rikku, Kairi, and Katalin, he remarked, "Take care of yourselves." And then, the three of them disappeared. Yuna exhaled a breath that sounded painful to heave and both Lulu and Rikku put their arms around her. Everyone turned toward Kairi and Katalin.

"What will you do now?" asked Lulu with a sad smile.

Kairi's cheeks were tear-stained, so Katalin spoke instead. "Whatever we have to. We'll get back Darcie, take care of Maleficent, Dempsey, Organization XIII, and anyone else who gets in my way," she informed them. She moved her eyes to Wakka's. "I know how you feel, like you just lost a sibling, and... I'm guessing you don't want to return to Destiny Islands. You've grown... attached, right?" She glanced purposefully at Lulu.

Wakka managed a smile in return as Kairi cried, "You, too?!" He strode forward and hugged her tightly, but briefly.

"Kairi, Katalin, I want to thank you for everything you've done. You never had to stay and help us, but you did anyway. Kairi, if you ever want to visit, I'm just a Gummi Ship ride away, 'uh?" added Wakka with a grin.

Kairi rubbed her cheeks and nodded. For a year, Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie had been her rocks following Riku and Sora's disappearances. If Riku and Sora ever did something similar again, there would only be Selphie. She would have no brotherly figure. As not okay as she was with that, she nodded. "Oh, I'll visit. I'll bring Riku and Sora with me."

Grinning, Wakka placed his arms behind his head. "They'll never want to leave, ya?" They both laughed. "It was... very nice to meet you all," remarked Kairi, gaining a better grip on herself. "Yuna, Rikku, Paine. I'm sure that Sora would be more than happy to see you three again, if you ever want to see him."

Yuna managed a small smile. "Thank you. Take care, and good luck."

Kairi and Katalin took a few steps backward, and a beam of neon green light shone from the sky, and beamed them up to the Gummi Ship. Katalin helped herself into the chair behind the artillery and Kairi collapsed into the driver's seat. They sat there for a few moments until the screen dropped down from the ceiling. "It's late, but we were hoping that maybe..." Naminé, looking beyond tired, trailed off. Her expression fell at the looks on Kairi and Katalin's faces. "What happened?"

Naminé appeared to be the only one on the screen. "Where are you, Naminé?" asked Kairi as she got a grip on her emotions.

"Using Cid's computer. Everyone else is asleep, and I decided to stick around downstairs. I was hoping to talk to you guys; I've been waiting a while. Are you on your way home, then?"

They nodded. Katalin answered Naminé's first question. "Darcie was captured by Dempsey because we were... I don't know what we were. Unprepared? Unexperienced? Dumb? Whatever it was, it caused Darcie to get captured. And she's the Princess of--"

"Heart from the Realm of Darkness," finished Naminé. "I know. We found out when we got back... That means that there are likely only four other princesses left out there, but who knows who the two are?" She turned toward Kairi. "We thought that Spira might be where Tidus and Wakka are. Were we right? Where are they?"

Kairi slowly shook her head. "We need sleep. Maybe something so we don't have to see everything that we have... I don't know. Can we... talk about it later?" she added tiredly.

Naminé smiled. "Of course."

**XxxxxX**

When Katalin and Kairi landed in the Gummi Garage of the Radiant Garden, they realized just how late it was. It was almost four in the morning. They could have looked at it as early but, considering they had yet to sleep, and considering that they felt more pessimistic than anything at the moment, they looked at it as late. They were able to quietly enter the house and close the door behind them carefully. Only Naminé appeared to be up, as she was the only one sitting in the room. She was sitting on the couch with a mug that had warm contents. Upon realization that they were back, Naminé jumped up, placed her mug down, and strode over to Kairi and Katalin. She hugged them both around the necks before releasing them and hugging Kairi.

"I'm tired," murmured Katalin, struggling to keep her eyes from closing. "I'm going to bed." Naminé nodded at her to show she had heard her before guiding Kairi to the couch. Kairi began to tell her what had happened almost immediately, which Katalin found a welcome relief. Naminé could pass the message on later, and Katalin wouldn't have to say a thing.

She flung opened her door, kicked off her shoes, and slid against the door as she closed it. The bed looked more welcoming than usual, but there was a problem. A change. Someone appeared to already be in it. Katalin slowly approached the bed, ready to summon her keyblade at any minute. Upon closer inspection, she realized Shawn had fallen asleep in it. Maybe he had been waiting up for her. She didn't want to wake him, so, without changing, Katalin climbed into the bed with him carefully and quietly. She gently moved herself closer to him before her eyes closed. Sleep took her almost immediately.

* * *

**A/n: That is, by far, one of the most emotional chapters yet, thanks to how my feelings were swayed whilst watching end of Final Fantasy X. The Sin battle was not allowed to be as epic as in the game because... I was tired, to be honest, and it doesn't need THAT much focus. I only included Yunalesca because she gave me hell while Lesser and I fought her yesterday. This is probably the last long chapter for a while, although it was relatively short in comparison to the previous two. Next chapter's going to be tons and tons of fun. Or the one after. Hmm. Maybe both. Please review! I pulled an all-nighter writing this one. Hah.**


	20. Blood on My Hands

**Chapter Twenty:**  
Blood on My Hands

**A/n: I'm stealing an idea from Lesser and making this story a little more FF-character heavy than I expected. The title for this chapter is from another the Used song, and it works. ;3 Without further ado, onto the chapter! Thank you for your reviews!**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any Final Fantasy characters. Just the OCs and my plot, which I am rather fond of for once. ;3**

_'(Seek me) For comfort,  
(Call me) For solace.  
(I'll be waiting) For the end of my broken heart  
(Seek me) Completion,  
(Call me) I'll be waiting.  
(I'll be waiting) For the end of my broken heart.'_  
**-"End of Heartache" by Killswitch Engage**

**

* * *

**Katalin only remembered bits and pieces of her dream the following morning when she awoke. All she saw were bits and pieces, like Yunalesca's snakelike form, getting swallowed up by Dempsey's stone magic, and the dream she'd had in Dream Zanarkand. She recalled that she had climbed into bed with Shawn already sleeping, so she glanced to her left and found the bed empty. It was just as well. Now she could shower so that she could smell less like stale water, sweat, dirt and blood.

When she put her hand on the doorknob to her door, someone outside of her room shouted, "Kat! Mad sa eh?" Katalin blinked. She recognized the words, they were Al Bhed. Whilst in Spira, she and Darcie had spent some time picking up the language. "Katalin!" The voice repeated, impatiently.

"Who is it?" answered Katalin without moving from the bathroom door.

The voice on the other side of the door huffed. "Try again!" The playful tone told her who it was.

"Rikku, I don't think I can hold a conversation with you in Al Bhed," remarked Katalin, releasing the doorknob.

"Try!"

Katalin inhaled deeply. At least she and Darcie had been insistent on speaking to each other in Al Bhed whilst in Spira; maybe she could say a few things. After a few minutes, she asked, "Fryd yna oui tuehk rana?" What are you doing here?

The door flew opened, and Katalin found that she could have yelled. Or something. Back at home, her parents had ignored her privacy, too. "I'm so proud of you, Kat." Rikku was dressed in the bikini top and short-shorts once again with the blue scarf/bandanna tied around her head. She instantly collapsed on the bed. "Nice bed."

"Who else is here?" asked Katalin guardedly as she turned toward the Al Bhed girl.

Rikku raised her eyebrows. "We've been apart for about a day--"

"A day? What _time _is it?" sputtered Katalin.

"Well, not a day exactly, but... a while, you know?"

"Go ahead."

Nodding, Rikku continued, "--And you're already so guarded? Come on, Katty." Katalin blinked, recalling her father used to call her by that name. That reminded her of another part of her dream.

_"Daddy!" Little Katalin cried, her arms flung open wide and an expectant smile on her lips as she chased after her father. He was heading for the front door but paused at the dining room table. Abruptly, he stopped and slammed his hands on the table; Katalin jumped as he glared daggers through the open wall, and into the kitchen at her mother._

_"I can't _stand _this. You _ruined _this for me!"_

_"Because our beautiful little girl has--?"_

Katalin forgot the remainder of the dream as Rikku asked, "You okay?"

"Yeah, but, you know... I could ask you the same thing. You were pretty torn up," recalled Katalin as she thought of what had happened... "What time is it, Rikku?"

The Al Bhed girl shrugged lightly. "Five o'clock."

Katalin had slept for thirteen hours. That was nice. "_Five_? Where are the others?" A whole day had gone to waste; it was one reason why Katalin detested sleeping in too late.

"I saw Sora and Kairi downstairs, and I met Riku and Naminé on my way in. I'm pretty sure they were all heading out somewhere," answered Rikku. Before Katalin could ask, she continued, "They said they tried to wake you up, but you were pretty much out of it." A knowing smile touched her lips as she sat up.

"What?" Katalin groaned. "What's that for?"

"Oh, you and your friend Shawn. I met him, too! Kairi told me that she poked her head in here earlier and saw you both sleeping." Rikku was full out grinning now.

Katalin shook her head vehemently. "No, no, no. It's not what you think. When we got back from Spira, Shawn was already asleep in my bed. I didn't want to wake him, so I just got in and fell asleep," replied Katalin, her cheeks burning red. "Not like it matters. You're the only one in this room with a real relationship."

Rikku raised her eyebrows and her green eyes became a little glassy as tears threatened to fall. Katalin could have sworn, but bit her lip instead. "Not anymore, he's gone. And he said, either way, that it was wrong. That he was too old..."

Katalin quickly closed the space between them and sat beside the Al Bhed girl. "I'm sorry, Rikku. I really am. I didn't mean it, but I... miss Darcie. She's been the only familiar thing throughout this whole thing, my rock, my best friend. But I shouldn't snap at you; I know you feel like crap..." She trailed off and put an arm around the blonde's shoulders. Much to her surprise, she wasn't shrugged off. "I wish I could help you, and it's _not _wrong. It's love. Love is never wrong."

"You can't raise the dead, Katalin," reminded Rikku, a little calmer now. _Calmer_? Rikku, like Yuffie, never had a calm moment. She was almost always bouncing off the walls, or swaying in battle... **(A/n: Especially if you cast Hastega. Lmao.)** Or skipping around outside. She had certainly encouraged Yuna and the others move along faster. Katalin and Darcie had always seemed to be with her, running around and acting hyper, much to some people's resentment. Like Auron's.

But Rikku was wrong about that, wasn't she? Katalin's eyes widened. "Well, Rikku... I wouldn't say that. I wouldn't say that at all." She jumped up suddenly and started for the door.

"Hey! Where are you going?" shouted Rikku as Katalin bolted out of the room.

"I'll be back," answered Katalin from the hall as she took the stairs about three at a time. If what she was about to attempt would work, then she would praise every heavenly force there was. Then again, maybe it wasn't _such _a good idea; it could be dangerous...

Tifa sidestepped as she saw Katalin bolting down the stairs. "In a hurry, Katalin? Wait. Aren't you wearing the same clothes from a few days ago?"

"Doesn't Sora never change his clothes?" shot back Katalin as she headed for the door. When she flung it open, she was a little more than surprised to find Paine and Yuna standing in front of her with equally perplexed expressions. Yuna looked much different than she had before, and was no longer wearing her kimono-esque outfit. Instead, she was wearing a white tank with a pink hood that bore, unsurprisingly enough, the same symbol of Tidus' Blitzball team. She was also wearing a pair of shorts with a blue sash that was long, frilly, and covered her left leg. "Yuna! Paine!" cried Katalin with delight. She wondered why Rikku hadn't mentioned that she had come with Yuna and Paine until she realized that she had sort of cut off the Al Bhed girl on several different occasions. She'd barely allowed the girl to get in any words at all. Now she felt bad. "Yuna... What are you doing here so soon?" asked Katalin with true surprise. "Aren't their celebrations to be had in Spira because of Sin's defeat?"

The ex-summoner simply smiled in response. "I wasn't... really in the mood to hang around for those celebrations," she admitted. "I gave a speech at the Blitzball Stadium in Luca to all of Spira. I'm sure there will still be people coming up to me when we return."

"She means that people will likely be assaulting her personal space for another few months," remarked Paine with a hint of a grin.

Katalin raised her eyebrows. "Are you three the only ones here?"

"Oh, you found Rikku? I figure she would go see you right away," stated Yuna with a small smile. This only succeeded in confusing Katalin.

"Why do you say that?" she wondered.

Yuna looked like she was going to burst into laughter while a large smile appeared on Paine's face; Katalin recalled never seeing anything like that on the warrior's face previously. "The two of you act... so similarly. And you, Darcie, and Rikku were like peas in a _pod_," pointed out Paine. "Thank the gods, too, because I couldn't have dealt with babysitting her all the time."

Katalin shook her head. "The three of you are a trio; you're very close.""Well, I guess Rikku managed to make another trio with you and Darcie," said Yuna. "And, to answer your other question, the others are back in Spira, taking on all of the compliments and whatnot. I'm not sure if Wakka was sure he could face his other friends' disappointment that he wasn't coming back to the Islands."

That was understandable enough. "Well, Rikku's in my room. Tifa would be more than happy to show you where that is. I'm on my way out."

Yuna and Paine both stared at her. "Where are you going?"

"To find a solution," answered Katalin before starting out of the house and heading for the first place she thought of: The Dark Depths.

**XxX**

When Katalin finally made it to the area in question, she was more than disappointed to find someone else there. Out of habit of being around Rikku, she growled, "Fryd dra vilg?!" Hearing her voice, albeit in a strange tongue, the other person turned toward her. When he realized it really was her, a smile flitted across Shawn's face.

"Hey," he greeted her in one of the softest voices she'd heard him use.

Katalin raised her eyebrows. "_Oh_, no, Shawn. Don't get any ideas. What happened last night wasn't in any way, shape, or form sexual. It was the result of me being emotionally and physically drained and not feeling like waking you up and putting up with your antics..."

He raised his eyebrows as he walked toward her. "Someone sounds incredibly defensive," he murmured, deflated. A stab of guilt hit her gut for the second time. To save her some time to come up with a good apology, Katalin walked to the edge of the cliff and stared at the sun as it sank below the taller cliffs in the distance.

"It's beautiful," she murmured. "Not... as beautiful as Spira, but beautiful."

Shawn laughed. "You had a good time there?"

"Yeah, Shawn. I enjoyed losing my best friend and watching my new friends suffer," she replied sharper than she had intended. Wincing, Katalin turned toward him. "Listen, I don't mean to be so--"

"Bitchy?" suggested Shawn with a small smile. "Eh, whatever. I understand, it's cool." He stood beside her and slowly, hesitantly, put an arm around her waist.

"When we get home, you know that telling your friends you slept with a Senior isn't going to mean much, right?" remarked Katalin with a grin.

He raised his eyebrows. "Why?"

"Because you're a Junior now, just a year younger and also an upperclassman. Besides that, I will shut down that rumor so fast that it'll make your head spin. I will tell everyone that you only slept in the same bed as me, and then what would your friends think?" They both thought of his friends' reactions and laughed loudly, their laughs reverberating off of the closed-off area. "Why are you here, anyway?"

Shawn chuckled. "I could ask you the same thing." He turned his eyes toward her. "I go here to do my thinking. And you?"

"I was hoping lightning strikes the same place twice," whispered Katalin softly. At his confused stare, she continued, "I was hoping Dempsey might come back here."

He nodded slowly, with understanding. "Well, I was planning on heading back to the house. If you have thoughts of getting into a suicide fight, then I'd better stick around."

"I can fight," Katalin informed him with more sharpness than she intended.

Shawn raised his eyebrows. "Then, how did Darcie...?" Before he could finish his sentence, he knew that he had said the wrong thing. Katalin quickly detached herself from Shawn.

"Man, I am so _tired _of you. You come onto me, flirt with me, act like you really like me, and then... You do something like this." Her pale hazel-green eyes were narrowed into a glare like one he'd never seen from her.

Immediately, he tried to fix the damage. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I didn't mean it."

Katalin's laugh was high-pitched and bitter. "You know, people always say that. When people fight with one another, they say _terrible _things to each other. And, when they make up, they say that they never meant those things. That's such a lie, though. If you didn't mean the words, then you wouldn't say them; you wouldn't think them. Besides, maybe you _would _be better off with Larxene after all. Even though she's a Nobody, she seems to be able to feign certain emotions. Your cruelness and hers should work well together."

Deciding to forget about why she had come to the area in the first place, Katalin turned on her heel and sauntered off. Shawn reached out to her, but she was already far down the slope and in the Great Maw. "Want me to bring her back to you?" A voice asked from behind him. Shawn jumped and turned just in time to see Dempsey leaning against a portal on the cliff wall.

"No, Dempsey. Leave her alone."

Dempsey simply looked amused. "She's a keyblade wielder, one that is _against _me. You know that I can't keep her around forever, and you also know that she would never willingly assist me."

"So threaten Darcie's life or something. That made Darcie come with you, right?"

The resulting chuckle from Shawn's words made the boy's keyblade appear. "You are a fool. Katalin is much sharper than that; she knows that I cannot kill Darcie because I need her power. Either way, I shall go speak with her. See if I can't convince her to run along with me." His piercing blue eyes looked amused as he said, "Who knows, maybe I'll inform her of your involvement."

**XxX**

There were no words to describe how furious Katalin was as she stormed through the Great Maw, striking down stray neighborhood Heartless that she had missed on her way there. Shawn thought he knew _everything_. Well, he didn't. He wasn't much of a keyblade wielder himself, she was sure. And, as a person, he was on the lowest part of the humanity scale. Katalin started and looked up when she noticed a figure in a black coat standing in her line of sight. Even though his hood was up (or maybe _because _of it), she knew who it was. Only one person with a black coat and bright blue eyes wore his hood _all _the time. "I am beyond happy to see you, Dempsey; I'm elated. I could sing praises in Al Bhed."

"I see you had a good time in Spira, Katalin," observed Dempsey, his smile lost in the darkness that was his hood. "I came to offer you a few choices."

Katalin laughed mirthlessly. "What a coincidence, I thought that I would track you down and do the same."

"You want to bargain with _me?_" laughed Dempsey. "Lucky, lucky day. Well, then, perhaps we can work out some sort of agreement?"

A bittersweet smile appeared on Katalin's face. "Doubtful, but let's do it for the fun of things, anyway. How about you give me what it is I want, and you walk away unscathed."

A booming laugh escaped Dempsey's throat. "Are you... _threatening _me? You have cajones, my dear, that much I am sure of. Well, do tell. What do you want of me, young one?"

Katalin narrowed her eyes at his tone, but responded with, "Several things. One, I want you to hand over Darcie. Two, if you refuse that, then tell me where she is. Three, I know you can raise the dead. Do it for me."

"Whoever could you want back from the dead?" asked Dempsey, clearly taken aback. "A grandparent? A... sibling?" he added almost too purposefully.

"Fuck," growled Katalin. "What _don't _you know about me?"

Dempsey's rumble of a laugh toned down to a light chuckle. "I didn't know that you were quite as brave... and foolish as you are acting now. Seeking me out was both brave and stupid, Katalin. Don't you know this?"

"I wanted to be the one to kill you for ruining absolutely everyone's lives," she remarked. "I don't care what you're assessing of my behavior."

"Ah, so high and mighty. You think that you can kill me, and that is really quite adorable of you. And, blaming me for ruining _everyone's _lives? Isn't that taking things just a bit too far?" inquired Dempsey, sounding genuinely hurt. She knew he wasn't _hurt. _The idea made her scoff.

"Maleficent's done her fair share, too, but I really feel the need to blame you. For mocking me, for taking away my best friend..."

Dempsey shook his head. "And, unlike Maleficent, I have paid quite the amount of attention to you, haven't I? How does _that _make you feel?"

"If you're trying to suggest that that, somehow, makes me feel good, then you're insane. More insane than I already thought possible," hissed Katalin as Beautiful Disaster appeared in her hand."You really are planning on fighting me, then? Regrettable. I would think after your battles with Sin and everything else in Spira with, quite literally, no stopping that you would be wiped."It was Katalin's turn to laugh. "You think I would let a little fatigue stop me from trying to find out where you've hidden Darcie away? How much of a sunuh _are _you, anyway?"

Again, Dempsey laughed. "You really like that Al Bhed language. Perhaps when I kill you, you can return to Spira as a ghost."

**XxxxxX**

Darcie was quite pleased to learn that Axel had been right. With a little bit of her magic, she was able to give herself a perfect appearance each and every day. Her hair remained straightened, and her clothes looked as if they had just come out of the dryer. Axel visited Darcie often, which surprised her. She was quite positive that Dempsey would be tracing Axel's movements since he was a good friend of Sora's. Maybe he knew that Axel wouldn't dare spring Darcie, and that was enough.

When Darcie chose to ask Axel about it, he admitted, "I don't even have the key to the cells. They don't trust me to, and for a damn good reason. I'm surprised that no one else has been down here to heckle you, though."

"The day's young," answered Darcie. "The only one who's been down here to harass me is you."

Axel raised his eyebrows. "What, you want me to leave you alone?"

"No," she admitted. "I like the company. You know, you're probably one of the most normal Organization XIII members."

Again, he raised his eyebrows. "You think a pyromaniac is the most normal of everyone?" She nodded, smiling. He had to agree with her. "Well, I guess I'm going to the Radiant Garden. As, you know, Dempsey told me to."

"Wait!" called Darcie as Axel stood up and headed for the exit. "Are they back now? Are they alright?"

Axel instantly knew who she was talking about. "Kairi and Katalin are back, and they're fine, I'm sure. I'll send a word from you to them, alright?"

"One more thing," said Darcie. Axel nodded and waited patiently. "I think I know why the Organization XIII members have been so attached to me, particularly Marluxia. Is it... my heart?" Again, Axel nodded. "Is that why you're hanging around me, too?" Her voice held the slightest trace of suspicion.

Axel grinned. "No. Darkness is great and everything, but I think I'd prefer the light a little more."

"Then..." She trailed off, but he knew what she had been about to ask. Darcie had wanted to ask how his original self had lost his heart in the first place.

"Another time, I promise." He disappeared into a portal, once again leaving Darcie with only herself as company.

**XxxxxX**

Dempsey didn't get to advance on Katalin for very long, although the time he was with her was enough to inflict more than a few deep gashes on her body. A bullet came inches from nailing Dempsey in the shoulder, and Way to Dawn stabbed at the man's feet. Katalin and Dempsey looked toward the direction of the new arrivals and found three furious girls and one agitated boy standing near them. Yuna was holding dual pistols in her hands, surprising Katalin a great deal, Rikku was wielding dual daggers, and Paine was, of course, using her longsword. Way to Dawn was recalled to Riku's hand.

"Do you get some sort of rush from your life being at stake, or is this just a coincidence?" asked an annoyed Riku as he stepped in front of Katalin. "Dempsey, what do you want?"

Dempsey chuckled. "Riku, how very nice to see you again. I only gave Katalin what she was looking for; a fight."

"But, why?" asked Yuna with raised eyebrows as she looked down at Katalin, who still had not made a move to stand.

Without looking up at the ex-summoner, Katalin replied, "I wanted to see if I could get him to bring me to Darcie. Or make him revive... some people." A smile of understanding and appreciation appeared on Rikku's lips.

"Is that so?" she chirped. "In that case, I owe you one."

Paine narrowed her reddish eyes at the mysterious man before them as she took a few steps to stand beside Riku. "And what do you want from her?"

"I only wanted to let her know a few simple truths, but the girl is so very hard-headed," replied Dempsey, his arms outstretched at his sides as he shrugged. The way he spoke... reminded her of someone. "However, this is hardly a fair fight, so I'm afraid I should be going. After all, _someone _needs to keep Darcie some company. Would you like to, Katalin?"

Katalin finally stood. Riku flung out an arm, and Paine caught the other girl's wrist with her hand. "What, don't you trust me?" spat Katalin, her anger mostly directed at Dempsey. "I won't go with you because I know it's what you want. I will, however, find Darcie, and it'll be on _my _terms."

"Name the time and the place, my dear, and we will meet each other again. In fact, I have a feeling we will be seeing each other... very soon. By that time, I'm assuming that you will be _begging _me to take you with me," remarked Dempsey as he called upon, and disappeared into, a portal.

Dempsey's words left the teenagers in the midst of confusion. "I get that you were trying to call Dempsey, but I don't get why you felt the need to come all the way out here," confessed Riku as Way to Dawn disappeared from his hand.

His words reminded Katalin why she was angered in the first place. Her face turned red, somewhat, much to the confusion of the others. "I figured that since I first saw Dempsey at the Dark Depths that he would go back there."

"This isn't the Dark Depths," pointed out Paine unnecessarily.

Katalin allowed her anger to drift so that she didn't continue to direct it at the wrong people. "I know. I went to the Dark Depths, and Shawn--"

"Shawn was here. He was _right _here, and he didn't hear you fighting Dempsey?" growled Riku, Way to Dawn reappearing in his hand. "Shawn and I are going to have a discussion. Right now." He started off in the direction of the Dark Depths.

Paine sighed. "I'd better go with him to prevent anything... undesirable from happening. Maybe you three should go back to the house?" she suggested before running after Riku.

Yuna, Rikku, and Katalin started back for the house. "Dempsey knows a lot about me. Too much," stated Katalin, breaking the silence as they reached the newly repaired Castle Gates.

Rikku kept her line of vision straight ahead as she replied, "Maybe there's a traitor here. Somewhere." Katalin didn't have the heart to argue. Maybe she was right. But the only one who knew a lot about her was Darcie. Darcie wouldn't have told Dempsey _anything_, of that Katalin was sure.

"I hope you're wrong," murmured Katalin. "How did you guys find me, anyway?"

"A simple guess," answered Yuna honestly. "We liked the Dark Depths when we worked for Maleficent. And the way you bolted out of the house like that, we were sort of worried."

Katalin smiled. She had picked up some better friends than she had expected. "Are you guys staying for a while?"

"Uh. Duh!" replied Rikku as she slung her arms around both Katalin and Yuna's necks, knocking them down a little.

**XxxxxX**

Shawn didn't summon his keyblade as Riku slammed him against the cliff wall and put the tip of Way to Dawn to his face. "Listen, Shawn. I don't trust you, and I don't know if I ever did. If you have something to come clean with, then I suggest you do it _now_," warned Riku, his eyes narrowed and his lips set in a deep scowl.

Paine was almost directly behind him and made no move to help Shawn or hinder Riku. "Talk."

"I wish you would just _trust _me," remarked Shawn with a bit of a shaking voice. "Why don't you trust me?"

"Because too much shit points to _you_!" answered Riku, his expression slowly turning dangerous. "And I've heard some stuff about you when you thought I haven't." At this, Shawn's eyes widened a little. "I swear that if you've done anything, Shawn, then I will be the one to hunt you down."

Shawn's facial expression twisted as Riku's grip became painful. "Is that a threat?"

"It's a promise," snarled Riku as he slammed Shawn into the cliffside once more before releasing him and turning on his heel.

Paine watched him go before approaching Shawn as well. Eye of Truth flashed into his hand at last, and Paine raised her eyebrows. "What, you don't trust me? Do I really look more dangerous to you right now than Riku did a second ago?"

"No," answered Shawn, "but I don't really know you, do I?"

"Nothing says 'guilty conscience' like a defensive attitude," pointed out Paine. "I just want to know how someone turns their back on their friends."

"What are you accusing me of?"

"Nothing different than anyone else has, from what I've heard, and I definitely heard some stuff from Darcie," replied Paine as she tilted her head ever so slightly to the side. "Is that why you sold her out to Dempsey?"

Shawn slashed at her with Eye of Truth. "Enough!" he shouted. Paine easily blocked his weapon with her blade. "Darcie, I liked her. She was like my sister, only better."

"I don't have a particular attachment to you, Shawn, so I don't have to believe your lies. You don't need to lie to me for me to be able to sleep at night." Paine easily pushed his keyblade back to his side. "If I find out that you've done anything to betray your friends, all of which are now my friends, then I'll be right alongside Riku, hunting you down. And, trust me, Shawn, you don't want a girl like me hunting you down." Without another word or waiting for any response out of Shawn, Paine turned on her heel and walked off.

**XxxxxX**

For dinner, everyone tried to work together. That meant that Cid, Merlin, and Sora sat back while the others tried to work up some huge feast for the others. Shawn, however, remained missing in action. "Merlin, will everyone fit in here?" asked Sora. Merlin shook his head, smiled pleasantly, and pulled his wand out of his pocket.

"Fear not, my dear boy! I can fix it!" cried Merlin. He began to wave around the wand and mutter a few words.

"Wait, wait, Merlin. Maybe you shouldn't..." Sora tried to interrupt the magician, but he wouldn't hear the younger boys' words. He continued to wave around the wand until there was a satisfying boom.

"Now we have yet another floor. Problem solved," chirped the wizard.

Cid, however, was growling. "We got a problem here, ol' man." His blond hair now had a strawberry tinge, and he had a heart on his cheek, just below his eye.

Merlin blinked. "I don't see a problem, Cid."

Inside the kitchen, Yuna and Paine were off to a corner, speaking in hushed tones. "You did _what_, Paine?" demanded Yuna, her voice in a heightened whisper.

"I threatened his life, point black," replied Paine without blinking. "And he deserved it, too."

Yuna bit her lip. "Maybe that's why he's not here."

"That, or he's off plotting our demise," remarked Riku with a grin as he joined the duo. To Yuna's surprise, Paine returned the smile, if only faintly. "Maybe he wants to get us before we can get him, Paine."

Yuna thought that they were taking things way to far, and she didn't fail to utter this. "Maybe we should just give him a chance to explain himself--"

"Darcie and I tried that, and now Darcie's been captured by Dempsey. A coincidence? I think not. There's no way for Dempsey to have found out where each of us were going. And Shawn leaving Naminé alone in Wonderland says enough about his character," said Riku as he folded his arms. The smile had faded from his lips, and Yuna knew whatever chance she'd had to convince him had gone away with the smile. Riku and Paine seemed more than determined to oust the alleged traitor.

"Fine," agreed Yuna softly. "But I won't be part of it. Katalin told me about him, and she seemed happy. I want her to be happy."

Paine raised an eyebrow. "Even if it kills her? Look at Rikku over there. She's slowly dying from her love, and her and Katalin are in two totally different situations. Auron's a more than decent man; Shawn's a rat. End of story."

Besides, Yuna thought, Katalin looked happy with or without Shawn. She was standing with Rikku and Naminé, gently teasing Kairi. "When are you going to make a move?" demanded Katalin in a barely hushed whisper. They burst into laughter. Or, at least, she was trying her best to have a good time. The bond she shared with Darcie had been obvious the moment they met on Besaid. Katalin was trying to be happy because she knew it was what Darcie wanted. And, aside from that, she knew that she could trust her other friends. Most likely, at least, when it came to Shawn.

A loud bang startled everyone from their thoughts and conversations. They looked toward the stove to find Leon and Cloud beating something to death. A large black bug (too small, nonetheless, to get beaten by two large blades) was on the floor between them. One of its legs wriggled before its life slipped away. "That's so inhumane," remarked Aerith with awe.

Tifa slammed her foot and scrunched it into the ground on the bug as a final attempt to make sure it was dead and gone. "Inhumane? Nah. Those things are poisonous. But, isn't Cid supposed to be cleaning the house while we're gone, repairing the world and acting as the Police?"

As if on cue, Cid entered the room with his new appearance and a white apron. His entrance and new look were too much for the occupants of the room; everyone burst into laughter, including Merlin and Sora as they entered the room.

**XxxxxX**

The next morning, Katalin awoke to something that she was not quite sure about. She had been willing to swear that she'd heard someone come into the room, but there was clearly no one inside. In addition to that, everything looked as it had been before. At least, almost everything. A college-ruled yellow piece of paper was sitting on the pillow beside her. When she lifted her head, she noticed that her pillow was still damp, as was her hair. In the shower the previous night, she had been thinking about the past few days, and her whole day in the Radiant Garden.

Needless to say, she hadn't spent too much time in there. Now she grabbed the paper and read over it. The hand wasn't one she recognized but, then again, she didn't know anyone's penmanship here except for Darcie's.

_Katalin,  
I'm sorry about yesterday. It was really stupid, right? I like you. I really do. A lot. Maybe I even love you.  
Well, I don't want to scare you; it might be too soon to say. Anyway, I'm sorry about yesterday. I did a lot of thinking for a while, and... well, you'll see. Meet me at the Postern, alright? I want to apologize in person. And, besides, I think I might have a way to find Dempsey and the rest. We can probably spring Darcie out if I'm right!  
Love,  
Shawn._

Katalin hadn't heard about Paine and Riku shaking down Shawn, but, even if she hadn't, she wouldn't have been sure if that had been the reason for his change of heart. Shawn must have dropped in to give her the note... She immediately hopped out of bed and changed into jeans and a blue tee with three white roses and splatters of white and pink paint that resembled gunshots, or blood. One of the white roses had a black outline, the other had a pink outline, and the third had a gray one.

As she started out of the room, she glanced at the clock. It was only five in the morning, and yet she was beyond awake and ready to see Shawn. Maybe she wasn't all that angry at him after all. The moment had passed, and she felt fine again. Still, with all her heart, she had vowed to track down Dempsey and get him to help her, not psyche her out.

She tip-toed out of the room after brushing through her hair and applying her make up. The door closed quietly with a little bit of precision on her part, and she passed the doors of the others. She passed Darcie's empty room which, for some reason or another, had the door slightly ajar. Sora was loudly snoring from behind his, and she could hear nothing of the rest. Katalin didn't dare breathe until she was safely outside with the door closed.

The neighborhood Heartless that appeared didn't really even bother her. In fact, she greeted them with a smile as she killed them. A facial expression that, she thought, probably frightened the Heartless and a helpless pedestrian on the street.

**XxX**

Katalin almost skipped up the path leading to the Postern. Almost. She liked to think that she had more self-control than that. Shawn turned when he heard her footsteps and smiled. The smile looked forced and painful. "Shawn, are you alright?" she asked with her eyebrows raised a little.

"Kat..." He trailed off, still smiling, and shook his head. "You still don't get it, do you?"

Katalin blinked. "What are you _talking _about, Shawn? You said you had a way to find Dempsey, the Organization, and Darcie, right? Well, let's hear it."

Shawn laughed bitterly. "It might be better if I show you." She nodded and he raised his hand. Several Shadows stood in front of him, twitching and glancing around. Katalin gasped and took a few steps backward.

"Shawn... What...?"

"You can't even get yourself to face the truth, can you?" remarked Shawn, suddenly angry. "Katalin, you're so stupid."

Her eyes widened. "But I thought you said that you lik--"

"You're so gullible that you'll believe _anything_," he snapped, cutting her off. "I don't care what you think, thought, or are going to think. You're weak-hearted, so are Sora and the others. That's why I did it."

Katalin nodded slowly and a bitter smile also stretched across her face. "When you mean that you had a way to find Dempsey, the Organization, and Darcie you meant _you_, right? You're the key."

Shawn summoned Eye of Truth. "You would think that the keyblade name and some of my actions would have tipped you off sooner, before anything bad could happen."

"If you were the one responsible for Darcie getting captured, I swear that I'll--"

"What?" he asked, a mocking smile upon his lips. "You can't hurt me. You don't have that in your heart."

"What is that supposed to mean?" growled Katalin, her hands clenching into fists. She couldn't bring herself to summon Beautiful Disaster against Shawn, someone she had thought to be her ally. And shook his head. "Only that you're too nice. I've been tipping off Dempsey the whole time, telling him where to find you guys and everything. I only had to tell him that you and Darcie were in Spira and off he was. I went to the Bizarre Room in Wonderland to meet up with either Dempsey or an Organization member. We didn't plan for Pete to snatch Alice -- we figured that Naminé was strong enough to beat him -- but it wasn't a tragedy. Dempsey only needs three Princesses to have the upper hand."

"The three leading princesses," realized Katalin. "You bastard. I should have known that you're bad news. Shawn, I'll kill you for what you've done." Beautiful Disaster flashed into her hand.

The mocking smile turned to a wry one. "I'd like to see you try."

With something of a battle cry escaping her throat, Katalin rushed toward him, cut through the Shadows, and attacked Shawn.

**XxxxxX**

_Once Sora, who was already deep in sleep, stopped twisting and turning, Riku was able to fall asleep, which surprised Shawn since Sora was snoring so loudly. Feeling suffocated by his destiny and the brunet's snores, Shawn kicked off his blankets and quietly snuck into the backyard._

_He inhaled the night's sweet more-summer-than-spring air. "Shawn."_

_Expecting Marluxia or Zexion, Shawn summoned his keyblade and turned towards the right where the moonlight illuminated a figure in a long black coat. "You're Mr..."_

_"Does my name matter?" asked the man with a pleasant smile. "You have... grown much since I last saw you."_

_Shawn raised his chin a few inches and his keyblade stayed in his hand. "Katalin, she--"_

_"Does she _really _matter?" asked the man, still smiling._

_"Fine, but my point is why I should listen to you? You just appeared out of a portal of darkness in the middle of the night; you look pretty suspicious to me."_

_"Because, my dear boy," he could see a glint in the man's bright blue eyes, the only thing that Shawn could see as the man lifted the hood over his head. "I can give you what you want."_

_

* * *

_**A/n: Oooh. How much would it hurt if I said I've been planning Shawn's betrayal since the very beginning? Obviously, I have... because that flashback is from one of the earliest chapters. x3 -dodges a watermelon- You guessed it, the song for this chapter is a Katalin/Shawn one. Please review -- next chapter's great. **

**Ooh, some Al Bhed words:**  
Mad sa eh? - let me in?  
sunuh - moron


	21. Run This City!

**Chapter Twenty-One:**  
Run This City

**A/n: An appropriate title that, coincidentally, is also a song lyric in the song I'm using in this chapter. Both work wonderfully. x3 I've been planning on using this song for as long as I've planned for Shawn to be a traitor. I'm beyond pleased that you guys weren't like "OMG SHAWN'S A TRAIOR WUT?" in the last chapter, because... I tried to drop many, many hints. x3 Thank you for your reviews, they keep me going! You know what I'd like, though? More. -hinthintnudgenudge- Alright, onto the chapter.**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Just my OCs and the plot. **

_'If I hear you saying something about me,_

_To the left I've got my friends and they're ready to swing,_

_To the back I've got my army they're as big as the sea_

_And it looks like yours is just ready to leave!'_

**-"Run This City" by Jet Lag Gemini**

**

* * *

**"I _love _you, Katalin. I _love _you," growled Katalin, her voice dripping with poison as she jumped away from Shawn and his horde of Heartless. She raised Beautiful Disaster in order to block a Shadow's claws. "I can't believe I believed your lies."

"Again," agreed Shawn with a bitter and amused smile. "But, really, Kat. Do you want to waste your time with me? There's other stuff to be done."

Katalin stared at him with a look that far exceeded hate, and her grip tightened painfully on her keyblade as he used her nickname in mockery. "What are you talking about?" Her voice was harsh but still managed to sound hesitant.

Shawn blinked and tilted his head to the side, still smiling. "Did you think that I revealed to you who I am without a real reason? Don't you realize why I would have had you meet me here?" Her eyes went wide with horror, and he couldn't hinder the laughter that emitted from his throat. "A fool. A beautiful one, but a fool nonetheless."

"You sound like Dempsey. I don't think I can trust you to describe who I am," replied Katalin in a snarl. "Everything you ever told me. Everything you ever did for me... They were all lies?" It was more a statement than a question, but it was still something she needed an answer to. She needed the icing on the cake.

Knowing that it would fuel her anger to a whole new level, Shawn nodded. "Yep."

Uttering a wordless cry, Katalin rushed at him, knocking away Shadows that rose before her, and raked the lethal thorns that made up her keyblade's teeth against any part of him she could reach. The teeth sliced up his stomach at stopped over his chest, where his heart was. The teeth sank themselves into the skin.

**XxxxxX**

Sora awoke to a peculiar noise, one that he couldn't quite place at first. Then, he heard it again and knew instantly what it was. It was the sound of something breaking. He quickly jumped out of bed, haphazardly dressed himself with whatever his fingers touched first, and slowly exited his room. When he glanced down the hall, he found that Katalin's door was open, and that a few people were also poking their heads out of their rooms. Naminé, Kairi, and Yuna looked hesitant. Rikku, however, had an earnest gleam in her eyes. Sora opened his mouth to say something -- probably order her to stay where she was -- when Rikku set off at a dead run down the hall.

She was already dressed and ready with her weapons in her hands. Paine, who had also glanced outside of her bedroom, shook her head somewhat before following after the Al Bhed girl. Sora stepped out of his room and joined the other three girls further up the hallway. "What should we do, Sora?" whispered Kairi fearfully. Naminé patiently awaited his orders, her keyblade already in hand. Yuna was more or less one to lead, but she knew that they would be better off following Sora's plans, as he was more familiar about most things than was she.

"I guess we head downstairs and let Rikku and Paine act as bait," answered Sora.

"What about me?" another voice yawned as Riku stepped out of his room. He was still dressed in his jeans and his vest, leading Sora to believe that Riku had fallen asleep directly following dinner.

"For goodness sakes, girl!" a voice hollered from downstairs following what Yuna knew to be Rikku's battle cry. "What the hell was _that _for?"

Naminé smiled wryly as Obsolete Nonexistence disappeared from her hand. "Well, I guess that we have nothing to worry about after all." Disappointed at being awoken so early in the morning but having to quench their curiosity, the group made their way downstairs.

Cid was sitting on a pile of Merlin's books, and Rikku was moving back and forth in front of him, her green eyes wide, while Paine watched them both with an exasperated expression. When Sora and the others arrived downstairs, Paine said, "We found the intruder."

"_Intruder_?" repeated Cid incredulously. His hair still held the strawberry tinge, and the heart was still below his eye. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Rikku bent over Cid and jabbed her finger into his chest. "What were you making so much noise down here for, huh?" she demanded in what she thought was a dangerous voice, but what the others thought was a happy chirp.

"Someone left the door open, and when I came down here, Heartless were gettin' in!" answered Cid as he stood up, succeeding in banging his head into Rikku's. She fell back a few steps, and Cid finally succeeded in standing. "I got 'em all to get away, but some stuff got knocked over."

"Suuure!" answered Rikku with a suspicious glance. "Then, how did the door get open exactly?"

Paine jabbed Rikku in the arm with her elbow. "Rikku, stop playing detective," she ordered. Rikku flashed a grin before falling quiet.

"How the hell am _I _suppose' to know?!" growled Cid. "Listen here, blondie--"

"Rikku," reminded the Al Bhed in a sing-song chirp.

"I told Merlin having too many people under the same roof would be a bad, bad idea..." grunted Cid.

Sora stepped in before either of the blonds could hurt the other. Well, hurt the other anymore. "That is a good question, though. Who would have left the door open?"

"Someone careless," replied Riku as he tried to rub the sleep out of his eye.

Merlin abruptly burst through the front door, startling everyone out of their skin. "There are Heartless _everywhere_! We must do something!"

Identical looks of horror appeared on everyone's faces. "Okay..." Kairi could almost hear the wheels turning in Sora's head as he fell quiet. "Cid, go wake up the others. We need to devise a plan."

"Maybe Maleficent's finally coming for us," suggested Naminé quietly.

Way to Dawn appeared in Riku's outstretched hand. "Then, she'll be pretty sorry when we beat her back into whatever hole she crawled out of it." They returned to their rooms to finish getting dressed (especially in Sora's case, whose clothes were mismatched and inside-out) and grab all of the supplies they would need. Like potions. Lots, and lots of potions.

When they met back downstairs, Cid was waiting for them with Aerith, Cloud, Yuffie, Leon, and Tifa. "Well, I got everyone up."

"Where's Katalin? And Shawn?" asked Kairi. The minute the words left her mouth, she knew that she didn't want to hear the answer.

Yuffie held up a piece of yellow paper; she'd obviously been the one to go inside Katalin's room. "At the Postern," she replied, looking earnest. "In the meantime, what should--?"

Leon cut her off. "We fight back the Heartless. We're all going to have to split up. I have a feeling the keyhole should be checked on, too."

**XxxxxX**

"It begins," remarked a voice. Darcie forced her eyes open as more voices joined the first. It appeared that a few Organization members were having a discussion. _Why _they had to have a discussion in the dungeon in the early morning when she was trying to sleep, she didn't know. Then again, she realized that she had no clue at what time she had fallen asleep, or when Axel had left. "The Radiant Garden will soon be ours."Darcie rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she sat upright and threw the covers off of her. Axel had gone to the Radiant Garden. Everyone else was _in _the Radiant Garden. She jumped out of bed and went to the bars of her cell before demanding, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, well look who's up!" A bittersweet voice chirped, making Darcie want to gag. Larxene bounded into her sight, with a wide smile on her lips. "How was your sleep, Princess?"

"It would have been better if your vomit-worthy voice hadn't woken me up," replied Darcie smoothly. Larxene's jade eyes flashed dangerously, and she reached into her pockets for, Darcie guessed, her knives. She stopped the movement as a hand fell on her shoulder; Darcie inwardly groaned as Marluxia appeared behind the Nymph.

"Someone's rather pleasant this morning," noticed Marluxia with the hungry, creepy smile of his on his lips.

Darcie shrugged lightly. "I could say the same about you. Now, answer me. What about the Radiant Garden?"

Marluxia shrugged, as if it were a particularly trivial matter. "We're about to get two more princesses. After that, Dempsey only needs to show Maleficent what a fool she truly is, and she will hand over the rest. Then, we will track down the final one."

"And we're needed at this moment, I'm sure," noticed Vexen in his hiss of a voice. "Let us do what needs to be done."

With an eyebrow raised, Larxene observed, "I never expected to hear those words out of your mouth, Vexen."

**XxxxxX**

Infuriated that Katalin had managed to get a hit on him -- a deep gash, nonetheless -- Shawn pushed her back with both hands on his keyblade. He knocked her back until she was against part of the golden railing, sitting on it somewhat as she tried to angle her body away from his. "What are you so mad at me for?" hissed Katalin as she grasped the railing with one hand while she tried to separate her body from Shawn's with Beautiful Disaster.

Shawn appeared surprised by her question. The surprise quickly gave way to something of disappointment, and anger. "For stealing my heart," he answered before pushing her with his free hand and knocking her back with Eye of Truth.

Katalin's hand released the railing as he pushed her shoulder, and she was too surprised to properly react. She didn't scream, though she grunted as she hit her head on the brick wall on her way down. Shawn swallowed hard as he watched her body fade into the mist far below the Castle. "Dempsey's not going to be very happy with me," he realized.

"Does it matter so long as you're pleased with yourself?" wondered an indifferent, yet cold voice that Shawn could place almost immediately. He turned around to find Saïx with his arms folded and an icy blue eyebrow raised.

"Are you going to tell him?" asked Shawn.

Saïx's lips lifted to reveal his pearly white teeth. "No need. Now, we have things to accomplish. Come with me." A portal appeared beside him without him so much as lifting a hand. With one last glance at the depths below the Castle, Shawn followed Saïx into the portal. His heart was beating so quickly that he was sure it would burst out of his chest.

Which reminded him of something. "Cure," muttered Shawn as he pointed his keyblade, a little uncomfortably, at himself. He suddenly found himself he'd had Sora teach him more than the first-level spells before he had... Come out about his betrayal. Then again, with Katalin... He could probably still go back to them, act as if nothing had happened.

Unless they found that note. Then, they would know he had been responsible in some way, shape, or form. "Thinking hard?" Saïx's voice cut through Shawn's thoughts, and the boy immediately stuttered out an incoherent answer out of reflexes. "I hope you are not considering turning back, Shawn. You have already sealed the deal. You know what your heart is, now. You don't belong with them." Shawn noticed Saïx's voice become a little colder at the word 'heart.'

"Of course not," he mumbled. "I would never betray Dempsey; he's like a father to me."

**XxxxxX**

When Yuna, Rikku, Paine, and Naminé arrived at the Bailey, they couldn't stifle the gasps that escaped their lips. Well, Paine could, for the most part. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine had seen the damage once before, but they had assumed it to look excessive only because of their small stature at the time. From one of the broken windows, they could see millions of Heartless and Nobodies marching side by side through the Great Maw, working their way up the Ravine Trial. "Well, it's a good thing we've actually got weapons this time," chirped Rikku optimistically as she slashed away a Silver Rock that had been whizzing around her head."I find myself wishing that I could still Summon," admitted Yuna as she pulled the twin pistols out of the holsters at her side.

Obsolete Nonexistence flashed into Naminé's hand. "We may be only four people, but the others will join us soon. Let's do what we can, okay?" She kept her voice forcibly optimistic. The one thing she didn't understand, being a Nobody born of Kairi and, technically, Sora was how she managed to be more pessimistic than either of them combined could be.

Maybe it had been all of her time being used by people, she thought with a bitter smile before blocking a Neoshadow's claws from scratching her face. "Yuna!" a voice, static-sounding at first, rang through the area, startling Naminé and Yuna, but no one else.

Yuna fished a walkie-talkie out of her pocket after firing a few rounds at a Rapid Thruster that had been whizzing around Rikku's head and attacking her too fast for her to counter. "Yes, Brother?" she called into it.

"Do you need us? Are you hurt?!" demanded the voice, which sounded almost German. Paine was wearing an amused smile, while Yuna wore a confused one. Rikku, however, smacked her forehead and snatched the walkie-talkie out of her cousin's grasp.

"Ev oui'na ycgehk ev fa haat oui du tecdnyld ic, drah hu," growled Rikku in a foreign tongue that Naminé realized must have been Al Bhed.

"Rikku!" shouted Brother with surprise. "Tu hud nieh so lryhlac fedr Oihy!"

Rikku rolled her eyes. "What are you talking about? Fryd lryhlac? Cra'c uin luiceh!"

The following cry that emitted from Brother's side sounded like a wounded animal being tortured. Naminé raised her eyebrows, while Yuna asked, "Everything alright?"

"Wonderful," murmured Rikku before stuffing the handheld communicator into a bag hanging at her waist. "Just let me hold onto this, 'kay?"

**XxxxxX**

When Sora, Riku, and Kairi arrived at the Postern some time later, they noticed immediate signs of a scuffle. Someone had tried to land a few fire or thunder spells on the other, and the ground had become scorched black from it. There was mud from someone else's shoes going backward, towards the stone wall. It looked like someone else had pushed that person. But, there was no trace of either Shawn or Katalin. "This can't be good," murmured Kairi as she dared to peer over the edge of the wall, and into the foggy depths. "Did someone fall?"

"If it's Shawn, then I might be tempted to sing some sort of praise," remarked Riku with narrowed eyes. "But I don't think Katalin would have been able to push him, let alone over the edge. Unless he was caught by surprise."

Kairi, always optimistic, said, "Maybe Katalin went inside to find the keyhole. She might have a rough idea of how to get to it, since we told her everything."

"We told her that a while ago," pointed out Riku. "And I'm not sure that even we know how to get into the main part of the Castle."

Sora took a few steps backwards and turned around to look up at the Castle. The Restoration Committee sure had gotten the job done; the large clock at the top of the building had been restored, and it looked overall more stable. He noticed the entrance and knew there had to be a way to get in there. But how...? His eyes fell upon it, and Sora suddenly found himself how he had been missing it. Branching off of the path that had led them to the Castle in the first place was a staircase that had been situated so that it separated the cliff wall somewhat.

Now how had they managed to miss _that_? "I found the entrance; let's go," announced Sora.

Kairi bit her lip. "But, Katalin... Shawn..."

"Forget about Shawn, Kai," replied Sora, a bit more sharply than he had intended. She winced at his tone, and he gently grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. "Trust me, please. If Katalin isn't here when we get back, then--"

"I'll go look in the Corridors," offered Riku. "It's where she would have gone first if she missed the staircase, too."

Sora and Kairi regarded him with unsure looks in their eyes. "Riku, are you sure...? There might be a lot of Heartless," murmured Kairi, obviously worried.

Riku flashed her a grin and nodded. "Don't worry about me. The two of you just try not to get lost, alright?" Sora nodded in response, his lips pressed in a line, and Kairi looked like she was torn. Without giving either of them the chance to object, Riku took off towards the stairs that descended down into the secret corridors. "You would think they would want this staircase to be more secretive than the one into the main part of the Castle."

**XxxxxX**

Katalin had recalled that Sora and Riku had mentioned there being a waterway beneath the Castle but, as she treaded the pool of water around the building, she couldn't find it. In fact, all she could see was the Castle getting farther and farther as she drifted through the water, not really fighting against it because she was too tired to do it. She decided to add yet another person to her hit list. Shawn had bumped Dempsey down to the number two spot. Why? Because he had sold them out.

She had thought he was her friend, among other things, and she had counted on him. Fat lot of good that had done her. Katalin idly beat down the Search Ghosts that were bobbing up to the surface and flying around her head, only succeeding in making her body move through the water faster. She was more than surprised when she was abruptly sucked into a small hole in the wall. Her claustrophobia took over, but she was out so fast that she did not have a panic attack.

The hole spit her out into something of a small pond near a couple of houses. Katalin climbed onto the cemented ground, soaking wet for the first time in a few days. "Help! Please!" a little girl with curly brown hair begged of her once she noticed Beautiful Disaster. She was standing back to back with a brunet boy she assumed to be his brother with a ring of Heartless surrounding them.

Katalin rushed forward to assist the children, but she was cut off as another figure stepped out between the two houses and destroyed the Heartless with his blade. "Run along, now, before more come," the man ordered. The children squealed their gratitude before rushing inside of their house. As he turned to face Katalin, his arm was sliced by the teeth of Beautiful Disaster. "Ah, is that my thanks for helping you out?"

"Who said I needed to be helped out?" she growled, jumping back in order to avoid a strike from his falchion.

Dempsey's eyes settled on her, and he remarked, "You looked refreshed. Have a nice swim?"

"You brainwashed Shawn!" accused Katalin without really believing her words.

He chuckled, seeing through her transparent words. "You just really refuse to believe that someone close to you has wronged you."

"That's not true," replied Katalin, her voice a little softer. "I can admit to that; my own father did that, if I remember correctly."

"Oh, whoa is you, Katalin," growled Dempsey. "I appeared to you so that I might offer you an ultimatum."

Katalin's eyebrows shot up her forehead. "What's that? 'Join my side, or die!'?"

Dempsey chuckled. "While I appreciate your humor, that is not what I had in mind. Not exactly, at least," he added with a coy smile that she couldn't see. "I will bring back those of your loved ones that you so please, and I will even pull the Heartless and Nobodies out of the Radiant Gardens.""Nobodies?" choked Katalin. In order to answer her question, a Dusk appeared above her and struck her to the ground. She found herself on her hands and knees before Dempsey.

"Ah, no. You do not have to bow to me in exchange. Well, not yet," he corrected himself once again. "Tell me. Who is it you want back?"

Katalin glared up at him as the Dusk danced cartwheels around her. She was afraid to move for fear that it would attack her again. "Darcie, all the Princesses of Heart--"

"I meant who are the dead that you want me to revive?" repeated Dempsey with a hint of amusement in his voice. "Besides, I don't have the Princesses of Heart; just Darcie."

"Then, tell me where she is!" demanded Katalin as she jumped to her feet. The Dusk replied to her abrupt movement by kicking her back down.

"Now, now, patience, my dear," murmured Dempsey in what he thought to be a soothing tone. "I will revive your friends and family members. Who do you want back?"

Katalin scowled. "I want the ones that die without a reason," she answered in a snarl.

"Now, Katalin. Wouldn't you agree that all of the dead are taken from us unfairly? That they die without a true reason? I would know, of course. I lost my parents at a young age."

A cruel smile spread across Katalin's face as she sat herself up somewhat. "No wonder you're so fucked up." He responded by delivering a swift kick to her stomach with his steel-toed boots. She cried out in pain and fell back to the pavement.

"Have some respect!" His eyes flashed dangerously for a moment before he calmed down. Then, he settled his boot on her stomach and pressed down a little. "Now, give me the answer. Perhaps your father. Did he wrong you by dying? Would you like to see him again?"

Katalin pushed, or at least made an attempt, Dempsey off of her stomach. "No!" she cried harshly, surprising herself and himself enough to make Dempsey trip away from her. "I don't want to see him again. Auron and Tidus. I know you know who they are, right? Because you keep close fucking tabs on _me_, after all."

"Not your brother? Any family member at all?" inquired Dempsey softly.

Her lip curled up unpleasantly. "Leave my family out of this, alright? They died because their time had come. Or, at least, something like that," she amended softly. "Anyway, Auron was unfairly murdered because Yunalesca was a dumb bitch, and he only wanted to avenge his friends. Tidus lost his... existence after he made a great life for himself, with great friends. I want you to make my friends happy and bring those two back."

A smile slowly appeared on Dempsey's face, but she couldn't see it in the depths of his hood. "One of those is not possible, I'm afraid. But, the other..." He snapped. "There you go. Problem solved. And he's here, now. Now, you will do something for me."

Katalin shook her head and tumbled away from him as she pushed herself off of the ground. "No, I won't. And, you... There's something..." She shook her head again.

Dempsey reached out. "Katalin, if you keep that up, you will fall."

"Good," she replied before leaning herself over the stone wall and hurling into the depths of the world. Her fall was broken quite early as she landed on a familiar blue, black, and gray-stoned structure. The fall, despite its shortness, hurt her somewhat, but she quickly recovered as Dempsey's face appeared over the ledge above. A stray piece of hair, black as midnight, escaped his hood.

Katalin heard Rikku, Yuna, Paine, and Naminé's shouts and cries as, she thought, they fought beneath her. She quickly pushed herself up and ran across the roof of the Bailey, looking for a way in. "Something's up there. Attack it, kill it, Paine!" she heard Rikku squeal.

There was a moment of silence, then the roofing below Katalin's feet crumbled as a Flare spell made short work of the bricks. Yuna, Naminé, Rikku, and Paine jumped back as Katalin fell, her only landing the broken bits of brick. Katalin wasn't able to breathe for a minute, but she was pleased when Naminé exclaimed her name and no one attacked her. Paine yanked her to her feet. Katalin waited for her eyes to settle back in her head before offering a thank you to the warrior. "That beat the hell out of my plan. Which reminds me that we should get a move on."

Naminé stared at her with confusion. "What's going on? Yuffie found a note from Shawn to you. It said you would be at the Postern..."

"I was, for a while. Then, he very kindly slapped some sense into me before pushing me over the railing of the Castle," murmured Katalin, not bothering to hide the hurt and anger in her voice. "Then, I met up with Dempsey. He either revived Auron or Tidus for me," she added to Yuna and Rikku, "and he wanted me to do something in return for him. Silly, he should have done that after I agreed to help him. Of course, now he won't call off the Heartless attack..."

Yuna stared at her incredulously. "Katalin, are you alright?"

Katalin blinked as she looked around at them. "Well, yeah, as alright as I _can _be, I guess." Her face flushed suddenly when she realized that Yuffie had likely read the whole note. "Hey, Naminé, did anyone else read that note?"

Naminé replied by putting the back of her hand against Katalin's forehead. "Yeah, a few people," she replied uneasily. "I'm sorry."

Rikku grinned. "Well, it was sort of obvious, what you two had going on..."

"Only because I told you a lot about him," murmured Katalin. "But, really, we should get out of here."

Yuna bit her lip. "You're acting a little... odd. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Odd? _Me_?" repeated Katalin.

"We heard you fall, and if you from a long distance, then--" Naminé cut herself off as someone else dropped down on the roof. "Now what?" she asked, her voice in a whisper.

"_Dempsey_," repeated Katalin impatiently. "We have to go before he, I don't know. Kills us all and captures you, Naminé. Let's go." Naminé had nearly forgotten her title of princess until that point. She blinked and stared up at the roof.

Dempsey's steel-toed boots came into view via the new skylight that Paine had given the Bailey. They all backed up a few paces. "I really don't feel like facing those again any time soon," remarked Katalin. "Let's go. _Now_." Still, no one but Katalin moved as she tried to tug Naminé away.

Someone else touched down on the roof, and Dempsey's boots disappeared from their view. Instead, someone else stepped in. Someone that was relatively familiar, but still a bit different. "Go, now!" the man ordered them.

It was... Rikku's mouth dropped open. "Auron!" she shouted, taking a few steps forward. Sure enough, it was Auron, but he looked a bit different than he had before. The scar was still over his eye, although it looked much more faded, and he could open both brown eyes once again. His face lost some of the lines, and he looked about ten years younger. His jet black hair remained just about the same, but without the gray streaks.

"Go," he ordered again without emotion as he turned to face Dempsey.

"Hey, you big meanie! Look at me, when I'm--!" Rikku was cut off as Yuna and Paine began to drag her away. Naminé recovered, and she and Katalin set off after the Gullwings. "Fine, fine." The Al Bhed was completely failing to hide the excitement and happiness in her voice. She turned toward Katalin as Naminé, Yuna, and Paine jumped down the broken remains of the Bailey's staircase and headed in the direction of the Great Maw. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she cried, throwing her arms around Katalin's neck as they both jumped. It wasn't the safest thing that they could do, but they landed safely nonetheless.

"Uh-huh," answered Katalin as she and Rikku ran after the others. "Just promise that you'll finally _do _something about your feelings, and that you'll try your best to... you know, be _careful_."

Rikku smiled sheepishly. "I'm _always _careful," she reassured the other girl.

Katalin snorted. "What I saw you do in Spira could hardly called being careful."

Still, Rikku smiled. "Just remember that you and Darcie followed my lead!" As they met the others at the broken down Castle Gates, a portal appeared in front of them. There was a collective groan from all of them.

"Now what?" murmured Paine, tightly gripping the hilt of her blade with both hands.

A shock of pale blond hair partially shaped into antennae was visible on the Nobody. Larxene blew a kiss in Naminé's direction. "Long time no see. Why don't we all have a _really _good time, mm?" she remarked as she pulled her knives out of her pockets. "Ooh, you all don't look very good. The Heartless and Nobodies giving you a hard time?"

"No," replied Katalin with a cringe as she tightened her grip on Beautiful Disaster. "It's looking at your face..."

Lightning came within a few centimeters of hitting Katalin's foot.

**XxxxxX**

Riku thoroughly searched the corridors beneath Hollow Bastion, and Ansem's secret lab, but he didn't find a trace that anyone was down there. He hoped, as he closed the study's door behind him, that maybe he had managed to somehow just miss Katalin. He knew it was just wishful thinking, but as he reached an area with four different hallways and heard approaching footsteps, he became more hopeful. When a man dressed in a black coat appeared, his hope died out.

"Zexion," snarled Riku. "So Dempsey _is _responsible for this."

"Shawn's idea," remarked Zexion with a bored shrug. "But, yeah, pretty much." He was pressing the lexicon against his chest as if it were a particularly important artifact. Which, to him, it was. To his enemies, not so much. "And I have orders to obliterate you. Hmm, how _about _that."

Riku flashed a brief, dangerous grin. "I'd like to see you try."

**XxxxxX**

Sora stepped into the Great Hall before Kairi, although he made sure that she kept close enough behind him that he could still feel her presence. The room was pitch black, he guessed it was so because no one had bothered to visit the room in a long time, and the only way to give the place light were the torches around the room. "Fire," mumbled Kairi as she held up Radiant Destiny. Sora murmured his thanks as they headed up the stairs and faced the keyhole.

It was giving off a small glow now, but Sora could already tell that it wasn't possible to enter through the portal that had once been there. The other thing he knew was that someone had unsealed the keyhole. "Shawn," murmured Sora. He hadn't exactly wanted to believe it before, but the truth was staring him in the face. As he lifted Kingdom Key to seal the keyhole, Kairi screamed and the fire spell disappeared, plunging them into darkness once more. Her scream became muffled and there was silence. "Who's there?" demanded Sora, whirling away from the keyhole as he tried to find the attacker.

A gust of wind knocked Sora backwards, down the stairs, and into a heap at the bottom. With a snap, the assailant lit the torches around the room so that they could see exactly who was attacking them. Sora's teeth snapped together with an audible sound. "No way."

**XxxxxX**

Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, Tifa, and Cloud, having sent Merlin and Cid to deal with the Marketplace, found themselves in quite the familiar situation, involving them all standing in the Heartless and Nobody-packed Great Maw. Tifa situated herself the closest to the Dark Depths while Yuffie and Aerith stuck together somewhere in the middle, and Cloud and Leon roamed around all over the place. "If only this was the same as last time," murmured Yuffie as she cut down several Shadows with her shuriken.

Aerith looked toward her with an understanding nod. "Yes, but the Nobodies and Heartless are working together in unison now, aren't they?" She cast a quick Holy spell at a few Dusks and Neoshadows that were drawing too close to them. "I hope the others are alright."

Yuffie smiled her brightest and widest in response. "I'm sure they're fine!" she tried to reassure her friend, but even her eyes were drawn by the fat bolts of lightning that touched down at the Castle's Gates. "I... know it," she added although with less certainty.  


* * *

**A/n: Ooh, that was fun to write. That whole exchange between Rikku, Yuna, and Brother was classic comic relief that's always in X-2. I figured it was necessary. xD Yep, Auron's back. Bwaha. x3 Not much to say, so see you all in the next chapter!**


	22. Explosive Ends

**Chapter Twenty-two:**  
Explosive Ends

**A/n: I split last chapter into two parts, and as such, this is the last chapter in the Radiant Garden. For a while, at least. Thank you for your reviews! Three in the last chapter... That made me oh-so happy. Can we do it again, maybe? ;3 Alright, I'll stop now. Enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer - I don't own anything related to the Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy games. Just the plot and OCs.**

_'Like a bullet meant to be shot,_

_You're the target, dead on the spot._

_When I focus, I never miss._

_It starts with a kiss... _

_La la la la la la la!'_  
**-"Ricochet" by Shiny Toy Guns**

**

* * *

**Rikku all but threw herself against the cliff's wall as Larxene cast yet another thunder spell at the group of them. Paine frowned somewhat at the blonde. "_Rikku_..." Her voice sounded dangerous, and it held an obvious threat which, as Katalin dodged a kick from Larxene, she found unfair. Rikku couldn't fight against a childhood phobia, particularly whilst facing one of the more savage Organization XIII members.

"Rikku, why don't you go see if you can help Sir Auron?" requested Yuna before firing a few rounds at Larxene, who appeared to have been considering firing another thunder spell Rikku's way. The blonde didn't immediately understand what they were doing for her, but when she did, she smiled briefly and took off in the opposite direction.

Paine threw a disapproving glare Yuna's way. "When we get back to Spira, Rikku's facing that fear. Or _else_." Yuna didn't disagree.

"Larxene, why don't you do us all a favor and fade into nonexistence?" spat Katalin. Her snarl was short-lived as one of the knives sailed through the air and sliced her cheek.

"What's wrong, Katty? Are the wounds still too fresh?" wondered Larxene, grinning widely as she summoned the knife back to her hand. "Shawn would have chosen me over you, after all."

Naminé shrugged a little. "That's because Shawn wants a girl that is cold, emotionless, and hard to look at, I guess." Katalin, Yuna, Larxene, and even Paine stared at the blonde girl with surprise.

"Naminé, you amaze me more and more each day," confessed Katalin before rushing at Larxene, who still appeared surprised by Naminé's words.

**XxxxxX**

To say that Auron was surprised to see the shock of blond hair as Rikku forced herself to the roof of the Bailey would be an understatement, but, being Auron, he masked the surprise well and easily knocked away Dempsey's falchion. "When I told the others to leave, I wasn't planning on discriminating with you. I certainly meant for you to go with them," remarked the ex-warrior monk without turning toward her.

A grin appeared on Rikku's face as she wielded her dual daggers. "You just got revived and you're already acting grumpy?!" she demanded as she took a few steps forward.

Dempsey backed away a few paces, observing the two of them as Auron came up with some short remark that seemed to set Rikku off. It seemed to set her off, but she was still grinning like a madwoman. "Ah, I understand now," realized Dempsey, his eyes wide.

"Understand what, you evil, hooded meanie?" growled Rikku as she moved to stand beside Auron. Her tone was fierce, but her words made it less effective, realized Dempsey with a smile. "Well?!"

"Love," answered Dempsey in a soft whisper. "But not her own."

A blush appeared on Rikku's face, but her lips were still pressed in a line. "That's because Katalin's good. She doesn't need to get something in return for her to do good things."

Dempsey blurted out laughter. "Good? Would you agree, Auron? Was reviving you and forcing you to hold off a reunion with your friends good?" To his chagrin, Auron nodded.

"I wasn't meant to die," he answered. "I only died because I allowed my anger to get a hold on me, and so I did something foolish."

"But you are alone now," Dempsey tried to convince Auron although he knew it wouldn't work. It wouldn't work because of the blonde bouncing beside the alleged lonely man.

Rikku shook her head earnestly. "You're wrong! He has Yunie, and Paine, and Lulu, and Wakka--" she thought she heard him say something like, 'Wakka, I can do without'-- "Andand Kimahri, and Tidus..." She winced. Tidus was gone. He wasn't coming back. "He has me, too." With that, she stuck her tongue out at Dempsey. "So, you're wrong!"

Dempsey shook his head. "So be it. Then, I will make you feel my suffering. I will make you suffer as I have suffered!" He rushed at Rikku, but was halted by Auron holding out his sword and slashing it at him.

"Power comes at a price," stated Auron as Dempsey was knocked back and landed on his feet and a hand. "You paid that price dearly."

**XxxxxX**

"I'm disappointed, Sora," Kairi's captor remarked with distaste and a little bit of amusement as the Keyblade Master untangled his limbs and pushed himself to his feet. A blue light engulfed Sora's body, and Roxas once again stepped out. He crossed his arms and his eyes moved from Sora to Kairi's captor. When neither moved, Roxas rolled his eyes and took a few steps up the stairs.

"Should I point out that we could be outside helping everyone else?" remarked Roxas dryly as he settled himself on the railing of the stairs. "_Axel_..."

The redhead grinned and released Kairi. "_Man_, Sora, Kairi. I can't believe you two were so ready to believe I was against you."

Kairi rubbed her wrist, which Axel had been clutching rather tightly. Sora met her halfway up the stairs and cast a Cura spell over both of them. The amount of Heartless inside of the Castle had been amazing, yet... the Great Hall had remained empty of any. It was strange. "I killed all the Heartless before you two came," noted Axel at their puzzled expressions. "Roxas, if Marluxia is running around with a heart, then why the hell are you still...?" He gestured to his best friend, at a loss for how to describe his transparency in a positive way.

"We still don't really know who the third main princess is," admitted Sora. "Why did you feel like scaring us half to death, by the way?" he added with an annoyed stare at the Nobody.

Axel grinned. "No harm, no foul. It was _fun_, anyway, wasn't it?" When neither of the teenagers responded, Axel sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry. I've been a little on edge, being stuck doing Dempsey's dirty work for the past few days." He snapped his fingers suddenly, and his emerald eyes widened significantly. "Shawn! Shawn's been doing Dempsey's dirty work since the beginning."

Sora nodded. "We know." Had this been an anime, Axel probably would have perfected the "anime fall." "Too bad we found out too late."

"And Dempsey sent a bunch of the Organization here to take over," added Axel with distaste. "Vexen, Larxene, and Zexion are supposed to be here for sure. Dempsey's running around somewhere, too."

Kairi sent Sora a purposeful glance. "We'd better hurry up and find Riku. How are we going to get rid of all the Heartless and Nobodies here, though?"

"With a little help," answered Axel.

Roxas, Sora, and Kairi raised their eyebrows. "B-but, that's dangerous! If you do that now, with everyone here, then Dempsey will _know_--" Kairi tried to argue.

Axel broke her off with the shake of his head. "I know, Kairi. Calm down, huh?" he added with a brief grin. "I've figured out and learned all I will from being with them. But I still gotta go back, you know." At their shocked expressions, he explained, "Darcie. I gotta get her out of that place before Marluxia... I don't know. Does something."

Kairi pursed her lips at the "something." She hindered her mind from thinking about what that could possibly mean. "Darcie! Is she alright? I mean... as alright as someone trapped in a, I'm guessing, jail cell can be." She spoke from personal experience, they knew.

"She's alright. I told her she can use magic to keep up her appearance and shit," remarked Axel. "She'll just be happy that you and Katalin are alive. After the way you three parted, she didn't know what to think."

A knowing smile touched her lips, then quickly disappeared. "Katalin..."

"We have a feeling we know what happened to her," murmured Roxas with a wince.

Axel blinked before raising his eyebrows. "If Darcie hears that you let her best friend die, then I don't think she's going to--"

"There's a waterway, or a moat, or something around the Castle. I'm sure Katalin's fine," replied Sora with too much uncertainty for Axel to be comfortable.

"I don't want to hear anymore. Who knows, maybe I'll have you guys explain to Darcie what's happened," stated Axel before grabbing Sora and shoving him in the direction of the keyhole. "Seal that thing and let's get the hell out of here. There are Heartless and Nobodies to be annihilated, after all."

**XxxxxX**

"Can we kill her?" asked Paine with a glance at Katalin and Naminé as she dodged one of Larxene's kicks and knocked the Nobody onto the ground with her blade. "Or something?" "Please," answered Naminé in a huff. "We have to hurry up and get out of here, anyway." Four sets of eyes trailed down to the Great Maw, and the other girls nodded.

Paine cracked her knuckles. "So we make short work out of this Nobody?" Katalin reminded herself for the umpteenth time to never anger Paine. "Great. After this, let's track down Shawn. I have a promise to keep."

"A promise?" echoed Katalin with a puzzled expression. When Paine started beating on Larxene instead of answering her, she turned toward Yuna.

Yuna put up her hands. "Paine and Riku," her brow furrowed when she realized that Katalin probably thought she was thinking of the wrong one. "The keyblade wielding Riku," she amended; Katalin nodded in understanding. "They decided to threaten Shawn yesterday."

Katalin raised her eyebrows as she wheeled back to face Paine. Paine caught her stare out of the corner of her eye and snapped, "What?"

"Why did you threaten Shawn?" asked Katalin, unperturbed by Paine's tone."I told him if he was going to threaten my friends in any way, then I would make him pay. It's as simple as that." Paine drew up to her full height, which was quite a few inches taller than Katalin and a few more than Darcie. "Why are you looking at me like that? Are you surprised that I think of you all as friends?"

Katalin nodded earnestly. "Well, _yeah_. I thought that Darcie, Kairi, and I annoyed the hell out of you?"

A wry smile upturned the corners of Paine's lips. "Sometimes. But you're great fighters and surprisingly disciplined people. You're good friends," she added with a curt nod that seemed to confirm her words.

A bright flash of light caught their attention. The only thing they were able to gather was that Larxene was floating in midair as she charged her electrical energy. When she realized that the attention was back on her, she smiled and the electricity shot off of her. It knocked them all in separate directions, and they could barely stifle their cries of pain.

Yuna, their designated healer, was thrown down the stairs and onto the cool, flat ground of the Ravine Trail. As she scrambled to her feet and started back for them, a barrier rose in front of her, separating her from the rest. Her blue and green eyes narrowed dangerously at Larxene. "Don't worry about it, Yuna," Paine called as she slowly stood. An excessive amount of blood was flowing down her right shoulder, and she winced as she moved, let alone held her blade. This was enough to tell Yuna that she definitely had need to worry.

"I'll call Brother and Buddy," offered Yuna instantly, fishing for the communicator in her pocket.

Paine's reddish brown eyes narrowed. "You know Brother will do anything to protect you, and he'll probably do something that will get himself injured. Just go on and help the others. We'll do what we can." Her tone was forceful, almost as much as Auron's was half of the time, and Yuna felt herself nod unwillingly.

"Be careful!" she called over her shoulder before starting down the path. Her fingers tightened to a painful grip on her pistols. It was the first time for a long time that she was walking through a battlefield on her own. Then again... It was her first. She had never been without help before.

May as well make the first time the best. Yuna shouldered one of the pistols while holding out the other. Heartless, mostly Neoshadows, appeared in her path. Not for the first time, Yuna found herself wishing that she could summon Anima or Bahamut to assist her. An icy wind breezed from behind her, forming icicles on her skin and hair, and destroying the Heartless with ease that Yuna had never known. She slowly turned around to share her gratitude with her savior. When she found herself facing a man with long hair the color of faded gold, all hopes of seeing Shiva, the icy aeon, were squashed. She pointed both pistols at him immediately. "Ah, so you are not quite as foolish as you look," croaked Vexen.

Yuna narrowed her eyes. She didn't _look _foolish at all. "Want to rethink that one?" she asked delicately. "Because my foolish little fingers may accidentally slip on the trigger."

Vexen chuckled. It was a strange, high-pitched laugh. "You've even got a sense of humor." The way he spoke sounded as if he was trying to commend her, or something of the like.

As her heterochromic eyes disappeared beneath her eyelids, Yuna stopped wishing for her Aeons, which were now resting peacefully, and began to wish for something -- or, rather, someone -- slightly more realistic. Slightly, because he was still gone. She wished that Tidus was with her again, defending her. Sharp stings in her legs forced Yuna to reopen her eyes once more and glance down. Ice was slowly engulfing her body, encasing her in an icy prison. She looked toward Vexen with wide eyes. "Something as beautiful as you should be preserved in ice rather than be allowed to run around and cause havoc," he remarked with a hungry look in his eyes. Yuna wasn't sure what he lusted for, being a Nobody, but she also knew that she didn't want to find out.

The imprisoning ice spell wouldn't be possible to hinder, at this point. Yuna was already covered up to her hips in the stuff. In direct defiance, her eyes narrowed, she fired all of the remaining rounds in her pistols at Vexen, and he didn't really try to avoid them. In fact, his mouth was in the shape of an 'o' of surprise as he tumbled back, sliding down the cliff wall. As the blood flew out of Vexen's body, the ice seemed to work its way faster up Yuna's body. Her arms, still held straight ahead of her with the guns smoking, were already frozen.

She found herself wishing that no one would rush by and accidentally... Yuna swallowed hard at the thought and pushed the thought from her mind. At least she had likely destroyed a member of the Organization. A distracted Organization member, but one nonetheless. As her body froze over completely, she was almost able to swear that she heard a familiar voice shouting her name.

But it had to be her mind playing a trick on her as it became frozen.

**XxxxxX**

Breathing heavily with blood pouring freely down his skin, Riku turned another corner of the corridor. He leaned against the wall long enough to pour a few hi-potions on his cuts and take stock of his tattered clothing. Zexion hadn't gone down very easily, but at least he _had _gone down. One Organization member down, eleven more to go. **(A/n: I got lazy. Sorry. xD) **Riku ran a hand through his hair before pushing off the wall and starting down the hall. A line of Dusks jumped down from seemingly nowhere and attempted to bar his path.

Riku knocked them away with Way to Dawn before continuing through the remainder of the corridors at a run. The last thing he felt like doing was fighting more Nobodies after taking down a humanoid one. When he exited the secret underground at last and had nothing but the cool breeze on his face to greet him, he inhaled deeply once more in an attempt to catch up with his breath. Sora, Kairi, and Roxas' voices were speaking with someone else's -- Axel, he realized -- from above.

Again, Riku ran and joined them at the Postern. "You look terrible," remarked Axel with a blank stare and a wide grin. Riku ignored him.

"Did you seal the keyhole?" he asked Sora, who nodded in response.

"Yep. Now we just have to find the others..." He tilted his head very slightly to the side. "Did you find Katalin or Shawn?"

Riku shook his head. "But I _did _find Zexion; I took care of him pretty easily. He's remarkably easy to kill when he's by himself."

"I wonder who else is here," murmured Kairi nervously.

Axel summoned his chakrams to his hand. "Let's worry about that later, shall we? In the meantime, let's go to the..." He looked to Roxas for support.

"Great Maw," finished Roxas with a grin before turning toward Sora. An understanding look passed between them as their bodies became engulfed in blue light and Roxas disappeared.

**XxxxxX**

Dempsey shook his head at Auron and Rikku, his eyes narrowed. His breathing was labored, and parts of his body were covered in dried blood. Rikku was still bouncing back and forth, looking like she was ready to go for another round of fighting with him. The two of them were complete opposites when they fought: Auron was slow-moving but had powerful attacks, and Rikku was extremely quick although she lacked power. She had made up for this by mostly distracting Dempsey and mugging him. "Love," repeated Dempsey as a portal appeared behind him. "I scoff at the word."

Rikku stuck her tongue out at him before making a move to run after him and, maybe, finish him off. Auron held out a hand in order to block her, earning a bewildered stare from the Al Bhed. When Dempsey was gone, Rikku said, "I wonder if he's a Nobody."

Auron glanced down at her with his eyebrows raised. "What makes you say that?"

"His attitude," she replied. "He fakes emotions. Or, at least, that's what it feels like to me." Another huge bolt of lightning from the Castle Gates made her wince, but she managed to say, "We should go help them."

They jumped off the top of the Bailey and ran down the destroyed path leading to the gates just in time to find Naminé, Paine, and Katalin flung backwards again. Larxene raised her eyebrows when she noticed Rikku -- and Auron. "Ooh, Demyx warned me about _you_," she remarked to Auron. "I'd like to have some more fun, but I guess I'd better get a move on. Toodles!" Rikku sprinted forward, dancing out of Auron's reach when he reached out to stop her, and stopped near Paine.

"Where's Yunie?" she demanded as Larxene disappeared into a portal.

A small smile appeared on Paine's face as she sat herself up and wiped some blood away from her lips. "Larxene separated her from us."

"She was probably better off," remarked Naminé as she stood and joined them. "I would rather not fight Larxene anyway."

Katalin joined them and nodded somewhat. "I thought you were just gun-shy at first, Nam, but now I know why you _really _don't like her."

Auron also joined them and handed out hi-potions like candy. "We were able to drive Dempsey away," he remarked with a faint, amused smile on his lips, "but you three couldn't even take care of a Nobody?"

"Dempsey may very well _be _a Nobody," reminded Rikku in a chirp as she helped the other three heal themselves.

Katalin raised her eyebrows but didn't disagree. "You forget that this is different from when we were in Spira. Then, we had eight people to take on little monsters and stuff. Here, we only had three people -- and no designated healer -- and had to take care of one of the stronger Organization XIII members."

"I'm starting to think Organization XIII _has _no weak members," murmured Paine. "They're all just varying levels of strong."

Rikku was assaulting her bottom lip when everyone looked at her. "Then, let's hope the only thing Yunie found are lesser Heartless and Nobodies." Her words surged them into action and, despite the pain that the three of them still felt, the group started down the Ravine Trail. "Kat, can I ask you something?" Katalin nodded. "You asked Dempsey to revive Tidus and Auron, right?" Another nod. "But not anyone for you. Why?"Katalin didn't answer immediately as she mulled over the Heartless. She assumed that Yuna had already destroyed all of the Heartless and Nobodies on the trail, since they were coming across any. Any, except the ones that were crawling up the cliff walls. "Go on," ordered Auron. "I'll hold them back."

Rikku opened her mouth to argue, but Paine pulled her ahead before she could say anything. As they moved at a slightly quickened pace, Katalin answered. "Love. It's a word neither Maleficent nor Dempsey and the Organization understand. It's a good weapon, right?" she added with a coy smile. "Besides, love gives people hope. Stuff is looking pretty hopeless right now, and I sort of figured we could use it as our secret weapon."

Rikku blinked. "Dempsey seemed to think that, too," she remarked with surprise. This was equally surprising to Katalin, who could form no response in reply. "Maybe... You know, if Dempsey _is _a Nobody, like I think he is, the... What if he's your uncle's Nobody?"

Katalin choked. Naminé beat her on the back as hard as she could, and she quickly recovered. "Wow, Rikku. You could be... right. I mean, that explains why I had a feeling if I asked him to revive my uncle, he either couldn't or wouldn't do it. I thought he seemed familiar!"

"Let's hope Rikku's wrong," murmured Paine as they came to another bend in the trail. Her words reminded Katalin that she definitely did not want Dempsey to be the Nobody of her uncle. That would make it even more difficult to... Katalin shook the thought from her head.

With an odd feeling in Rikku's heart, she surged ahead of the rest of the group and turned yet another corner. "Oh, God. Yunie!" Her scream was one of the most terrible things that Katalin had heard. In fact, it was the way she had cried after telling everyone (everyone that didn't know) that Yuna's pilgrimage would, quite literally, be the death of her. They picked up their paces immediately and quickly realized what had Rikku so terrorized.

Yuna was frozen solid. "Vexen," hissed Naminé as they joined Rikku, who was running around Yuna as she tried to devise a plan to fix her.

Paine glanced at Naminé and Katalin. "Can we use a fire spell...?"

Katalin bit her lip. "I think that could be disastrous. We could melt her down with body heat, or something..." Shadows, Neoshadows, and Creepers were climbing up the cliff walls on either side of them. "Or we could, you know, stop them from breaking her."

Rikku shook her head vigorously before hugging her cousin from behind. "Come on, Yunie. Come on! Melt!" Katalin, Paine, and Naminé fell around the two in a protective circle.

**XxxxxX**

"Auron?!" Kairi and Sora's cries would have distracted Auron from his battle with the Heartless had he not just defeated the last one. He shouldered his blade and turned in the direction of Sora, Kairi, Riku, and Axel. "Wow, you look..." Kairi trailed off, at a loss of how to kindly describe the swordsman.

"Different?" prompted Auron, another faint grin on his face. "Sora, it's been a while."

Sora nodded earnestly. "Yeah, when they," Auron knew what 'they' he was referring to, "told me about what happened in Spira, I almost didn't believe them."

"Especially when it was mentioned that Tidus was gone and Wakka was never coming home," remarked Riku with a grin. "Hey, Auron, have you seen... anyone?" he finished flatly.

Auron smirked. "I have seen Yuna, Rikku, Paine... Naminé," he added, recalling that Rikku had told him her name, "And Katalin."

Riku nodded. "Katalin. Good."

"Did you lose her?" inquired Auron.

"Kind of," admitted Sora. "In all of this chaos..."

Auron nodded his understanding. Rikku's shouts to her frozen-solid cousin reached them, and with one glance at the others, they took off in their direction. "There's so many," gasped Kairi as they noticed the huge amount of Heartless covering the remainder of the trail. In the very center of it Yuna, Rikku, Katalin, Paine, and Naminé were visible.

"This is Shawn and Dempsey's idea of a good time," remarked Riku before charging forward and destroying some of the Heartless. Assassins materialized behind him, and Axel grinned before destroying them with a blast of fire.

"Guess my cover's blown," remarked Axel without disappointment as he kicked some of the Heartless out of his way. A Dusk kicked Rikku away from Yuna and she tumbled into the small alcove that was there. As she tumbled, someone caught her arm and yanked her up in order to prevent her from getting injured.

"Let me take care of this," the familiar voice offered before dashing out of the cave. With a large sword that seemed to hold water just beneath its sharp surface, the person swept away the Heartless that were blocking his path to Yuna. When he finally made it to her, Paine, Katalin, and Naminé had already moved away from her to destroy the Heartless and Nobodies that were too numerous. "Yuna, they weren't kidding. You really _do _need me." He hugged her tightly and, as if he had some sort of magic power, the ice melted leaving the two of them soaking wet.

Yuna blinked a few times before making an attempt to turn in her savior's arms. She only had to look down at the hands around her neck. He was in the same position that he had been a few days earlier, only she could _feel _him now. "Tidus...?!"

Tidus nodded and hugged her a little tighter. "Now's not the best time to have a long reunion, Tidus," Riku's voice snapped the two lovers out of their reveries. Riku was grinning, and Tidus easily returned it.

"You're right, Riku. Wow, never thought I would have to say that unless you were sitting on me," he added with a laugh. "Destroying these guys up here isn't going to do anything. Let's get down there and take care of the bulk!" Without warning, Tidus wrapped Yuna's pistol-grasping hand within his own and jumped down into the Great Maw.

Rikku, the front of her body soaking, emerged from the cave with her eyes spinning a little. Or maybe the swirls just made it look that way. "That looks fun. Let's go, Paine!" She ran forward, hooked her arm in her friend's, and jumped after Tidus and Yuna. Auron rolled his eyes before also following them. "Sora..." Naminé and Kairi said in a unison of warning. Sora ignored them, looped both of his arms around theirs, and also jumped down into the depths of the Radiant Garden.

Axel burned away the remainder of the Heartless and the Nobodies that were immediately surrounding hem. Katalin bit her lip as she watched the damage the Radiant Garden was sustaining from the Heartless and Nobody onslaught. "Why... are they still fighting?" she asked Riku with a quick glance in his direction. She had been hopeful, running away from Dempsey, fighting Larxene, and knocking back the Heartless and Nobodies, but she finally had a moment to think about everything. Her heart ached with the memories of what had passed within the last few days, and she wasn't sure if she could keep fighting when all she kept doing was _losing_. Naminé had separated from Sora and Kairi and was now fighting alongside a solidified Roxas. Solidified because he was wielding his keyblades.

"Because, they're friends. And, besides, this is their home," answered Riku without looking at her. "Katalin, I know shit is really bad right now, but you can't give up. Help us fight off the Heartless and Nobodies."

Shawn's words were still raw in Katalin's mind and heart. Every hurtful thing he had said and every terrible action he had executed was slowly killing her on the inside. And it was incredibly likely that Dempsey was the Nobody of her _uncle_. But she forced herself to nod. "Of course I will. They're my friends, too." She leapt over the edge of the cliff and landed back to back with Tifa. They broke apart and began to work on the Heartless.

Riku watched her for a few minutes before also jumping down and joining in the fight against the Heartless.

"How pitiful," noted a woman from behind Dempsey, who was standing at the top of the highest cliff in the Great Maw. The woman stepped beside Dempsey and watched the keyblade wielders and their friends attempt to fight back the Heartless and Nobodies. The woman snapped and a few Behemoth Heartless entered the fray.

"Them or me?" inquired Dempsey without looking at her. He had healed the injuries that Rikku and Auron had inflicted on him, but he still felt a little worse for ware. They had an idea of who he was and certainly was not a good thing.

Maleficent cackled. "Both," she answered. "You are going through great lengths to get this world under your control."

Dempsey quirked an eyebrow. "You took the World that Never Was and my current residence just isn't, ah, grand enough for me. I would like to be treated like the King that I will soon be. Besides, the amount of Heartless they are destroying is only making Kingdom Hearts stronger."

A smile appeared on Maleficent's lips. "And I thank you for that. So, you would like to become King of the Radiant Garden? Is that why you revived Organization XIII? And what of the girl's friends that you also revived?"

"What of them? They are no obstacle to me," replied Dempsey. "She is already breaking. If I continue to push her, then she will soon have no choice but to bow to me."

"But, why? Is it because you are truly a Nobody of someone close to her?"

Dempsey inclined his head slightly. "It is possible. As for my reasons for what I am currently doing..." A smile appeared on his lips and the hood fell back momentarily to reveal him. "That is for me to know and you to find out only when you are heaving your dying breath at my feet."

Once more, Maleficent cackled. "I have nearly all of the Princesses. You will deliver Kairi to me; you have no real use of her."

"Ah, Maleficent. Do what you please, for now. Soon enough I will take all of the princesses from you," promised Dempsey. "In the meantime... feel free to take Kairi. I have my eyes set on Naminé. And perhaps that Roxas, too."

One of the purple Behemoths near Sora and Kairi charged at Sora and lifted him roughly with its horns. Sora's face was the perfect picture of surprise and Aerith gasped as she saw this and raised her staff. "Aeroga!" The cutting wind engulfed Sora's body and allowed him to slowly, but safely, float down to the ground. It made him too slow.

In the amount of time it took Sora to return to the ground and Kairi to calculate what had just happened, Pete was able to quickly and efficiently step out of a portal and seize her from behind. "That's not allowed!" shouted Katalin as she cut down the Neoshadows in her way in order to reach Kairi. A Berserker appeared when she was just a foot or so away, and it knocked her back into the crowd of Heartless with its claymore.

Pete glanced up and gave Maleficent a quick thumbs-up, making her slam her hand into her forehead. Then, he retreated back into the portal with the struggling Kairi. "That is enough of this foolishness, then. I will eject these fools from this world, if you so please?" Maleficent asked Dempsey, who nodded.

"I thank you for your kindness," he remarked before she held out her hands and began to chant.

Rikku dragged Katalin away from the Berserker and pointed upwards, to Maleficent and Dempsey. "Does he resemble your uncle in anyway?" she asked earnestly. Dempsey glanced at Rikku with an annoyed expression before snapping. Darkness swallowed the two of them whole. Maleficent's green and black flames engulfed the Great Maw and everyone jumped.

"Leave this place, fools!" hissed Maleficent although her voice was suddenly so loud that absolutely everyone in the Radiant Garden could hear her. Before anyone else had the chance to look up at her and Dempsey, the flames engulfed them whole, and darkness took over all of the fighters, leaving behind only the Heartless and Nobodies.

Maleficent turned toward Dempsey once their common enemies were gone. "I think that you owe me now, Dempsey."

"We will see, Maleficent, in due time exactly what I will do to repay you," replied Dempsey before summoning a portal. "Until then, enjoy your seven Princesses of Heart."

**XxxxxX**

As Katalin wandered through the darkness, she found her thoughts drawn to very unimportant things. Or, person, rather. She couldn't keep Shawn out of her head still, as much as it angered her. Every time she thought about what he said, it sent her into a new fit of anger. Somehow, she couldn't feel angry in the darkness. In fact, she felt quite tranquil, which only managed to piss her off more.

Shawn was a traitor, Darcie was a prisoner, and Dempsey was likely the Nobody of her uncle. Since she had joined the keyblade wielding world, everything had ceased to make sense. Which was why she tried not to think too hard about why she still liked Shawn a whole lot despite the fact that he had tried to _kill _her. All she could find herself worrying about was kissing him. Or, in this case, not having been able to.

He was a liar. He was a user. Katalin sat down in the darkness and stared up at even more darkness. Her knowledge of what he was didn't seem to change a thing.

* * *

**A/n: If it wasn't obvious, I hate Vexen. xDD' Death by gunfire was something I always wanted to do to him. Thank goodness for X-2 Yuna! I wasn't originally planning for a lot of this stuff in the chapter to happen... but it did. Wow, I'm kinda tired. Please review? :3**


	23. Operation Separation!

**Chapter Twenty-Three:**  
Operation Separation

**A/n: In addition to my normal disclaimer, I will have another one. That's always fun! OH MY GOD. I got three reviews in the last chapter again. I pretty much jumped up and down when I saw that. Thank you, thank you, thank youuu!**

**Disclaimer - I don't own anything Kingdom Hearts related. Likewise, I do not own Princess and the Frog. In addition to that, the movie itself is not coming out until December of... this year? And the stuff in here (aside from the normal Kingdom Hearts stuff) may not happen in the movie. As such, there are also spoilers for the movie in here.**

**Wow, that was long. Please enjoy the chapter!**

_'Time's gonna warn you with a whisper_

_What it wants to let you know._

_You can't live in fear of the things that aren't for sure,_

_So stay alive by playing dead.' _

**-"Clockwork" by Autopilot Off**

**

* * *

**"Oh, God. Are you okay?" an earnest voice that Katalin had hoped to belong to Yuna or Rikku asked. The voice held a Southern accent. "Wake up, please."

When Katalin's eyes opened, she hadn't exactly expected to find herself in a fairly dark area surrounded by what appeared to be a bayou. She also didn't expect a girl, around her age, to be staring at her with a concerned expression. The girl had medium-length black hair tied back in a ponytail and was wearing a golden outfit. A small hat that resembled a circlet made of cloth with a small veil was atop her head. The friendly deep brown eyes of the girl reminded her of Darcie, which reminded Katalin that she had been doing some hard thinking before she... fell asleep? She wasn't sure what had happened to her while she was in the darkness.

"Are you okay?" the girl repeated as she held out a hand. Brown sleeves with gold cuffs stopped at her elbows. As Katalin grasped the girl's hand and was pulled to her feet, she found herself really liking her outfit. "My name is Tiana."

Katalin blinked and brought herself back to reality. "Oh, yeah, I'm alright." _I just don't know where I am. _"Oh! I'm Katalin. Nice to meet you, Tiana." With one more glance at Tiana's dress and a large mansion looming in the not-too-far distance, she added, "Are you... having a party?"

Tiana giggled. "No, no. Not me. I'm going to my friend's house to help serve food. I need some extra money to get the restaurant that I want. But... are you sure you're not invited to my friend's, Charlotte, party?"

"What would make you say that?" wondered Katalin as she reflexively brushed dirt off of her jeans. Except for the fact that her jeans didn't feel very denim-like. She glanced down with bewilderment when she realized that the material was silky. Katalin found herself dressed in a long, floor-length ball gown. The main color of it was creme although there was a silky cyan ribbon that was tied into a bow around her stomach. Two white straps hooked behind her neck. As a cool wind breeze through the area, Katalin realized that quite a bit of her back was open to the elements. She idly fingered the beads that covered the dress from the straps to where the ribbon was. Now she understood why Tiana thought that she was going to the party.

"Oh, well... now that I think about it, I was invited to Charlotte's party," remarked Katalin with a bright smile. "I don't know what happened, though. I guess that I must have fallen asleep, or something." She knew it was a weak excuse, but there was nothing else she could think of. Especially because it was partially true.

Tiana smiled in response. Obviously she found it hard to believe that a girl wearing a huge ballroom dress could simply fall asleep just a block or so away from the party that she was attending. However, she kindly said nothing more of it. "Why don't we go together? I'll help you clean up your dress." Katalin smiled with gratitude; dirt was caking the front of the creme dress.

**XxX**

The walk to Charlotte's house was much shorter than it looked. When they entered the mansion, there was almost no one there except for a few servants and a blonde girl. The girl perked up when she spotted Tiana and ran the length of the foyer to meet her at the door. "Oh, Tiana! It's so nice to see you!" cried the girl as she threw her arms around Tiana's neck. Her wavy blond hair was a brilliant golden color and the back of it just reached the base of her skull. Her dress was a deep magenta color with puffy sleeves that had a golden sash that tied around the stomach. From the sash, the dress puffed out with the same magenta, gold, and a lighter pink. Her beauty made Katalin forget to blink for a minute.

When she noticed the blonde staring at her, Katalin blanched. "Oh, uh, I-I'm..."

"Katalin, this is Charlotte," introduced Tiana. "Charlotte, I decided to invite a guest to your party. I hope that's alright? She offered to help me serve food."

Charlotte nodded earnestly before throwing her arms around Katalin's neck. Katalin found herself wondering, and sincerely hoping otherwise, if this was how Charlotte greeted _everyone_. "Great! How kind of you, Katalin!" As she pulled back, she added, "I love your dress. Are you sure you want to serve in it? You might get it dirty... Ah, it's _already _dirty. Tiana, can you show her to a bathroom and help her clean herself up?"

Tiana nodded at once. "Yes. When does the party start...?"

"Very, very soon," promised Charlotte as Tiana led Katalin away. Once they were on the second floor of the mansion, Tiana opened a white door leading to a huge bathroom.

If Katalin had been able to whistle, she would have. "Katalin, you don't have to help me, you know. When Charlotte didn't recognize you, I figured that I should step in. Not that she would mind you being a party-crasher, anyway," remarked Tiana as she grabbed a cloth and soaked it in warm water.

"Oh, no, I'm grateful!" insisted Katalin. "Thank you, Tiana. You don't even know me, but you still helped me. That means a lot."

Tiana smiled. "Well, you seemed to have a really good heart."

"Hey, Tiana. Is Charlotte a Princess?" asked Katalin as she seated herself on the large counter of the sink. Tiana blinked before laughing.

"Well, her father is the King of Mardi Gras tonight," she offered. "But she's not a real Princess. How could she be? This is the French Quarter!" Tiana laughed once again.

Katalin recognized the name. In Diamant de Plaines, there was an area called New Orleans. Or, at least, there used to have been. According to legends -- legends that Katalin now believed in -- New Orleans had been a part of the world before all of the worlds had broken apart. They called New Orleans the French Quarter. Katalin felt quite accomplished for finding a world that had, at one point, been directly connected to her own. "Well, it was worth a try," she mumbled. Maybe Charlotte still _was _a princess. Alice and Kairi, for all they knew, weren't real princesses. Darcie and Naminé weren't, either.

Charlotte seemed to have a pure heart; she certainly was very loving -- even to strangers. But how could Katalin find out for sure...? As she pondered this, Tiana handed her the burning hot rag. Katalin jumped somewhat before scrubbing down the dress. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you," murmured Tiana guiltily.

"No, no! I was just... It doesn't matter. She certainly looks like a princess," stated Katalin with a smile while mentally rubbing the back of her head. That was close. She knew that they weren't allowed to, as Goofy would say, muddle in other world's affairs. Then again, she sort of was in a way.

Tiana laughed. "So do you!" she pointed out. Katalin's heart skipped a beat, but she said nothing. She knew it was just the dress, but maybe she was the eighth Princess of Heart! The idea made her laugh. Out loud. What a foolish thought. "Are you alright?" asked Tiana, worried once again.

Katalin faced Tiana with a sheepish smile. Tiana was her only real friend in the world so far and she already thought that she was crazy. Not the best of beginnings.

**XxxxxX**

"I have never had a Behemoth do that to me before," began Sora, slowly, "And I never want it to happen again."

Rikku laughed. "Ha! That sort of thing is beyond common in Spira."

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Paine's lips. "How else do you explain the way Rikku acts?" Rikku blinked before pointing an accusatory finger at her friend.

"Hey, that's not nice," she murmured in defeat as she collapsed on the ground. Paine rubbed her temples as she turned toward Sora.

"Do you know where we are?"

Sora glanced around them and nodded. "Yeah. This is so familiar that it's almost funny. Almost," he repeated. The eternally night sky was beyond filled with stars, making the dark alley where they had appeared a little lighter. "I first landed here after losing my home a few years ago. This is Traverse Town," he informed them as he stood and started out of the alleyway.

Paine tugged Rikku to her feet and followed Sora out. They stopped near the front of a large accessory shop and glanced around the empty area. "I don't see any of the others," remarked Rikku fearfully. "Do you think they're okay?"

"Of course they are," replied Sora with a grin as he pounded his chest. He glanced around once again and the smile slipped off his face. "But... Maleficent got Kairi."

"Stupid witch," huffed Paine under her breath. "Kairi can take care of herself, Sora. Trust me," she insisted when Sora still looked crestfallen. "In the meantime, why don't we have a look around to see if we can find anyone else?"

Sora nodded. "Good idea. I'll go to the Third District, since it's the most dangerous. Paine, you go to the Second, it's that way," Sora pointed at a large set of doors behind the shop. "And Rikku... Why don't you stay here and look around? Ask around about the others." He and Paine started off in the opposite directions.

"Wait! Where should I meet you guys when I'm done?" asked Rikku once the other two were a good distance from her.

"Stay here," answered Sora and Paine in unison before disappearing.

Rikku frowned and stuck her tongue out at no one in particular. "Stay here," she huffed. "Like that's going to happen." She hopped into the shop nearest her, the accessory shop.

**XxxxxX**

The squeal of metal would not have awoken Darcie, and she wouldn't have even heard it if she hadn't been awake for several hours already. She had no clue what time it was, just that she had been awoken by a sick feeling deep inside of her. "You can stop faking now," a cold, cutting voice told her.

Darcie wanted to keep her eyes closed and lay in the bed a few extra minutes, just to prove Saïx wrong, but she was wrenched awake by someone else, not an Organization member. She was sure of this because she could feel the hands on her bare arm and not a glove. When she spotted the brown eyes and shock of brown hair, she put her hand on the one grabbing her and clenched tightly. Her nails bit into Shawn's skin. To her dismay, her voice shook when she said, "I knew it."

Shawn wrenched her out of the bed and all but dragged her out of the cell. "Then maybe you should have told someone who cared before."

"I did," replied Darcie, her eyes narrowing. "But they all wanted to believe that you were good. And where did _that _get them?" she couldn't get herself to sound completely angry. Her voice held traces of worry as she glanced in Saïx's direction. "Where are they? What happened to the Radiant Garden."

"Zexion and Vexen were eliminated by Riku and the ex-Summoner respectively," drawled Saïx, making no commentary when he saw her eyes flash with something of pride and triumph. "And the Radiant Garden is now ours. All of the others have been ejected from it. And Maleficent caught the second to last princess."

"Kairi," murmured Darcie before cursing under her breath. "And what do you want to do with me?"

Saïx raised his eyebrows somewhat. "Bring you to the Radiant Garden. If you'd really like, you could go back to that foolish wizard's house and gather the things you still have there."

Darcie recognized this as Saïx -- or Dempsey, really -- attempting to be compassionate. "Why, do you think I have some sort of doll there that I can take back with me and play with when I'm lonely? If I did have a doll, I would make it into a voodoo doll," with a brief glance Shawn's way, she finished, "Of Shawn. Or maybe someone will kill you off when they think you've heard too much or something; that wouldn't surprise or disappoint me, either."

"You'll probably stop being all high and mighty when you hear that Axel's not coming back," stated Shawn, following Saïx down the hall, and dragging Darcie like a rag doll behind him. "Or that Katalin is gone."

Her eyes flashed dangerously, and she threw all of her weight backwards, hindering Shawn from dragging her any longer. "You'd better be lying. I mean it." Darcie's voice was quiet and extremely dangerous.

Instead of denying anything, Shawn said, "And I was the one who did her in." He had never really fought with Darcie before, so he was more than a little surprised when she raked her long nails across his face. The nails dug in deep enough to break the skin and make him bleed. Another one of Shawn's mistakes had been grabbing her _left _hand. Noir's Blossoms flashed into her free hand and she used it to smack him upside the head and knock him to the floor.

As he fell, she noticed that his shirt was ripped and that there was a scar leading up his abdomen that stopped right above his chest. "I think Katalin got the last laugh," she snarled at him as she took a few more steps toward him. She was knocked back by a gust of wind. Something tapped her none-too-gently at the base of her skull and everything turned black.

"This anger..." mused Xemnas, who had entered the dungeon long enough to see Darcie's response to Shawn's words about Katalin. "It's remarkable."

Saïx turned toward him, appearing somewhat surprised by Darcie's rage. "Do we tell her the truth?"

"No," answered Xemnas simply.

Lexaeus, who had knocked Darcie unconscious, was carrying her in his arms. "Dempsey wants to unlock the full extent of her power. The complete darkness."

**XxxxxX**

Katalin had never been to such a huge party in her lifetime. She had no doubt that the party Charlotte's father, the King of Mardi Gras, was throwing was even huger than the Prom at her school. She became quickly distracted by the elegant costumes and various masks that the party-goers were wearing. From behind the table where they were serving food, Tiana leaned toward Katalin's ear. "Charlotte is going to marry a prince from France."

Once again, the thought that Charlotte could be a Princess of Heart ran through Katalin's mind. "So I _wasn't _exactly wrong about her being a princess?" asked Katalin with a laughed quietly. "You were right, you were right," she agreed.

"Why would a prince want to marry her?" wondered Katalin. "Oh, and what's his name?"

"I guess his parents cut off his money because he refused to settle down. He's always looking for parties and stuff," replied Tiana with a sour expression. "Must be nice to live that kind of life. He's Prince Naveen, and he's the reason why they're throwing the party tonight. He's the guest of honor. Oh! There he is!"

The doors flew open to reveal a fairly tan man with dark brown-black hair wearing a beige vest over a white shirt. He had a dazzling smile and instantly showed it to the women in the room. The women squealed and fainted; Katalin and Tiana found themselves rolling their eyes despite the fact that they both thought he was rather attractive. Tiana turned around as two men approached her while Katalin kept her eyes on Naveen.

Maybe there wasn't another Princess of Heart; maybe there was a _Prince _of Heart. But that would mean that there were a whole lot of princes to look at... Katalin would start with Naveen. Or Charlotte. There were too many possibilities and not enough solid answers. A shout followed shortly by a crash turned everyone's attention away from the prince and onto Tiana, who had tumbled into her table of food. Her dress was beyond ruined.

"Ooh, Tiana!" cried Charlotte as she rushed to join her friend. The crowd parted for her like the Red Sea as she neared them. "Oh, your dress. That's okay! You can go wear one of mine. Go ahead, go take whatever you'd like from my room."

Tiana looked unsure. "I'll probably get it _dirty_," she pointed out.

Charlotte. "Nonsense. I can always get it cleaned. Now, go change."

And Tiana, with her cheeks burning bright red, nodded and ran upstairs.

**XxxxxX**

"We sure lucked out," remarked Tidus as he rubbed the back of his head and stood up. He was standing in a brightly colored courtyard that seemed familiar to him, not because he had seen it before but because he had heard of it. "But I wonder where everyone else is?" He offered his hand to the only person with him, Yuna.

She grasped it and they both pulled her to her feet. "Where are we?"

"Wak! Yuna?!" quacked a very familiar voice.

Yuna jumped somewhat while Tidus chuckled, "I think that's answer enough."

Goofy and Donald ran to join them, their weapons in their hands. "Golly, Yuna, you sure are..." trailed off the dog-like man.

Yuna hid a giggle behind her hand. "Goofy, Donald. Is this... your home?"

Donald nodded earnestly. "This is Disney Castle! Tidus, you're here too!" The duck quacked something unintelligible. Tidus waved his hand in greeting to Donald and Goofy, who he had met at Destiny Islands following Sora, Riku, and Kairi's last adventure.

"But, Yuna, what're you doin' all... un-pixie-like?" asked Goofy.

Yuna laughed once again. "Maleficent lifted the curse on Paine, Rikku, and I. Which reminds me, are any of the others here?"

Goofy nodded his head vigorously. Or, at least, as much so as was possible for him. "They're all in the Audience Chamber with the King. Want us to bring you to 'em?"

"Do we ever," agreed Tidus as Goofy and Donald led the way out of the courtyard.

**XxX**

The Audience Chamber was already filled with quite a few people including King Mickey, the whole Radiant Garden gang (which, to their surprise, included Cid and Merlin), Auron, Riku, and two women that neither Yuna nor Tidus recognized. "Tidus, Yuna," greeted the King with the same surprise directed toward Yuna's new appearance that Donald and Goofy'd had. "Fellas, is there anyone else here?"

Donald and Goofy shook their heads. "No, Your Majesty."

"Sora, Rikku, Paine, and Naminé are gone," murmured Tifa. "Kairi, Katalin, and Roxas. What about them?"

"Kairi got captured by Pete," murmured Riku as he ran a hand through his hair. "We have to find Naminé before Dempsey does."

"But the universe is so _big_," complained Yuffie. "How are we supposed to track 'em down?"

"You fellas can use one of my Gummi ships," offered King Mickey.

Yuna snapped suddenly. "What about Brother and Buddy? They have the Celsius..."

As if on cue, Brother's thickly accented voice spoke from Yuna's pocket. "You need a ride, Yuna? We more than happy to help!"

"I guess Gummi ships ain't the only thing that can fly in space," remarked Cid with surprise.

Riku raised an eyebrow at the pocket. "Didn't we figure that out when a giant whale swimming in space ate us?" he asked with a gesture at himself, Donald, and Goofy.

"We need to find Maleficent and Dempsey's stronghold, too," murmured the King.

The other mouse, wearing a pink dress, raised an index finger. "Dempsey has taken over the Radiant Garden now, hasn't he?"

"Sure fucking has," growled Cid. Yuffie, Tifa, and Aerith hit him. "What'd I say?"

"Don't swear in front of Queen Minnie," hissed Aerith.

"What about Maleficent?" asked Leon, his blue eyes hard.

King Mickey paced back and forth for a few minutes before answering. "I'll have Chip and Dale check out different worlds and see if they can't figure something out."

"We have a new recruit that can help with that, too. The kid's a genius," Buddy's voice remarked from the walkie-talkie.

Yuna pressed her hands together. "Then, we should start Operation Search and Rescue."

"That is _so _something Rikku would say," stated Tidus with surprise. Yuna laughed and rubbed the back of her neck.

Auron glanced at the two of them meaningfully. "I'm sure Lulu and Wakka would be willing to help us with this, don't you?"

Riku grinned. "I think Wakka better help us since Kairi, Darcie, and Katalin helped him and didn't drag him back to the Islands."

**XxxxxX**

The party became dull once Tiana departed, and Katalin found herself wishing that she had followed her. After Charlotte introduced Naveen to everyone, the party-goers began to talk about stocks and other economy related things which couldn't have interested Katalin less. As her boredom hit its peak, she considered telling everyone investing in stocks that it was going to crash in ten years. Then, she assumed that she would be proclaimed insane and kicked out of the party.

When the doors burst open again, Charlotte seemed more than surprised that another guest could be arriving, especially so late into the party. The woman standing in the doorway was hardly an invitee; Katalin knew that the minute she was able to see her face. Beautiful Disaster flashed into her hand, and the people around her all backed off. "W-who are you?" demanded Charlotte a little more fearfully than she had hoped.

"Why, I'm here to collect _you _my dear," answered Maleficent as she raised her staff. Diablo flew inside from behind her, making quite a few people duck and even more to faint.

"I don't think so, Maleficent," growled Katalin as she took a few steps forward. The people parted for her the way they had done for Charlotte.

Maleficent raised her thin black brows at the keyblade wielder. "Of all of the places that you could appear, it just _had _to be here, didn't it?" she murmured. "Ah, it is no matter. Now I can finally rid you from this world forever."

Katalin glanced around the room with her eyes narrowed. "What are you all still _doing _here? Leave and take cover!" she barked. Much to her surprise, everyone immediately obeyed her, and Naveen yanked Charlotte into a nearby room. "So, Maleficent. Where's Kairi?"

A sour smile appeared on the witch's lips. "How much did you get to see exactly before you were dismissed?" For the first time since she had arrived in the world, Katalin recalled that Rikku had been trying to show her something in the Radiant Garden, but someone had immediately expelled her into the darkness.

"What did I miss?" asked Katalin guardedly.

Maleficent cackled. "I suppose you'll never know." She raised her staff at a chandelier that was hanging above Katalin's head. A purple and black vortex surrounded it and, with a shattering noise, the chandelier hurled downward.

Katalin quickly dismissed Beautiful Disaster, grabbed her too long dress in her hands, and backtracked away from the chandelier as it fell. She tumbled backwards as the light shattered on the ground and flew all over the place. Some shards cut into her skin, but it wasn't enough to really cause any damage. "What are you doing here, Maleficent?"

"Getting the last Princess of Heart I need, my dear, before taking the ones that Dempsey already has."

Katalin choked. "Naminé. Dempsey has Naminé?!" The only response she got was a smile from Maleficent.

* * *

**A/n: My updates will become significantly slower because 1) The ending is in clear sight, and I need to add details, details, details so that it comes out alright and 2) School starts... soon. A couple weeks, I think. I'm gonna be trying to get together the rest of my summer, so... bear with me. I'll keep updating as much as I can so long as you all keep reviewing. ;3**


	24. Empty handed

**Chapter Twenty-Four:**  
Empty-handed

**A/n: I'm sorry this update took so long. Dx' But, like I said, I'm trying to make sure to tie up loose ends so the ending doesn't well... suck. xD' But thank you so much for your reviews. Oh my God. Thank you so much. They made me so happy! Keep 'em coming, huh? x3 Enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Princess and the Frog, Kingdom Hearts, or anything Final Fantasy related. **

_'I don't think I deserve it; selflessness._

_Find your way into my heart._

_All stars could be brighter, _

_All hearts could be warmer.'_

**-"Louder Than Thunder" by the Devil Wears Prada**

**

* * *

**Rikku, being Rikku, did not follow Paine and Sora's orders for her to remain in the First District. Instead, she climbed up the ledge, the wall, beside the Accessory Shop in the alleyway. Then, she proceeded to enter the Second District in her search for Paine. No one in the First District had been of much use to her; they had said that they had seen plenty of new people showing up, but none had been any of the ones Rikku described. The Second District, filled with shops, houses, and a hotel, seemed strangely empty. Then again, Rikku didn't really know the difference, never having been to Traverse Town before.

She spotted a door near the fountain of the courtyard, if you could call it that, which was in the center of the district. Rikku hopped over the ledge and landed in front of the small door with ease. She pushed it open and found herself in a completely new area. It was an alleyway, that much was obvious, but it was much more open than the one in the First District. She caught sight of the balconies of the hotel rooms and, further down, a waterway that led to some sort of secret cavern.

That sounded fun. Rikku headed in the direction of the waterway when numerous amounts of Soldier Heartless appeared around her. She immediately slid her dual daggers out of their sheaths and wondered if she maybe should have listened to Sora and Paine. The thought was immediately waved off as she knocked one of the Heartless away with one blade and pierced another through the Heartless symbol on its chest. She was unaware that someone, from the balcony of the blue room, was watching her.

**XxxxxX**

Katalin knew, as she raised Beautiful Disaster to guard herself from the tables Maleficent was hurling at her, that she was way out of her league. To try to fight Maleficent single-handedly was really a laughable idea when the Keyblade Master had even needed assistance. So, with her weapon still in hand, Katalin seized the bottom of her dress somewhat and started up the stairs, avoiding various fire spells that Maleficent was casting at her back.

She ran a hand through her hair as she wandered the halls of the second floor, feeling only a little bad about leaving Maleficent to, likely, destroy the house. As a keyblade wielder, Katalin thought with a wince, wasn't it her duty to protect a Princess of Heart?

And the truth was, yes, but maybe not when her own life was at stake. Guilt bubbled inside of the pit of Katalin's stomach as she called, softly, "Tiana?" Maybe Charlotte wasn't the Princess; maybe Maleficent was mistaken. She had to snort at that. From what Sora and Riku had told her, Maleficent was _never _mistaken.

The response came in the form of a scream. A scream that, despite Katalin never hearing before, she could immediately recognize as Tiana's. She dashed down the hall and flung open the door at the end. The room was dark and had a pink canopy bed that Katalin had secretly longed for as a child. The rest of the furniture in the room was white with golden trimming. Small princess dolls covered almost every surface. And yet, Katalin didn't see anyone.

Katalin began to start back for the door when a voice she recognized as Tiana's cried, "Katalin! Wait!" She looked around earnestly but found no trace of the other girl. Maybe she had finally really snapped her mind. The chandelier hadn't hit her, but maybe something else had. Katalin clutched her head. "Down here!"

A slender frog with a feminine facial expression was hopping up and down before her, making Katalin's mouth drop open. "Oh, God," she murmured in a frightened whisper. "I can't believe it, but I've _really _lost it..."

"No you 'ave not, ma chére," another voice, male, accented, and indescribably familiar, responded.

Katalin hesitantly brought her eyes to the top of a vanity. Another frog, this one male, with two brown stripes on either leg, was staring at her intently with brown eyes. She shook her head slowly. "You sound like Naveen..."

"Prince Naveen, at your service," replied the frog before flashing her a brilliant smile.

"But Naveen was downstairs," recalled Katalin almost distantly.

The frog nodded gravely. "Ah, yes, my dear friend, Lawrence, is disguised as me! I do not know what that voodoo doctor offered him, but..." A loud scream sounded from downstairs, and Katalin recalled Maleficent's presence.

Katalin shook her head. "I really need to know what happened here, mostly so I know that I haven't gone insane, but we have to save Charlotte first. So, hop on," she ordered the two frogs. Naveen leapt from the vanity and landed on her shoulder while Charlotte worked her way up the folds of Katalin's dress.

When she opened the door, she was more than a little horrified to find herself face to face with the large form of Pete. Pete cracked a grin before picking her up, almost effortlessly, via her two halter straps. He marched across the bedroom, ignoring Katalin and the frogs' cries, and stepped onto the balcony. "Maleficent's got what she came for, and she wanted me ta personally thank ya for it. Instead of destroying ya, she's lettin' ya live. How kind of her."

Pete pulled back Katalin's body, as if he was preparing to throw her. "Wait, wait! If you throw me, then I might not live."

He shrugged, as if the statement was of trivial matter. "Then, be thankful that she at leas' didn' kill ya on contact. Sayonara, suckers!" With the force of a thousand regular-sized men, Pete hurled Katalin off the balcony and somehow managed to hurl her into the nearby bayou.

Beautiful Disaster flashed into her hand almost immediately, although Katalin had expected she was too shocked to correctly summon it. She acted quickly, recalling the spell she had seen both Aerith and Sora cast before. "Aeroga!" A cutting wind engulfed her body, damaging the limbs of the trees that she passed as she hurled toward the ground. Only, she wasn't hurling anymore. Now, her body was slowly floating towards the murky water.

**XxxxxX**

Naminé was not too sure why she pushed herself away from the ground; it was her anchor, and once she was away from it, the world began to spin. She put the back of her hand to her forehead and squeezed her eyes shut as she waited for the world to stand still once again. A hand dropped down to rest on her shoulder. Obsolete Nonexistence flashed into the hand on her forehead, and she immediately lashed out on the person who had touched her. Her keyblade hit another weapon, and she finally forced her eyes open.

The world had stopped spinning, she was relieved to notice. She was ten times more relieved to notice that the person she was attempting to assault was none other than Roxas. "Roxas!" Naminé wasn't sure if the words came out as a gasp or a cry of relief, for she quickly dismissed her weapon, as did he, and threw her arms around his neck. As she rested her head in the crook of his neck, she suddenly realized that he looked much different. Well, maybe not much, but he was... "Roxas, you're... you're glowing."

"Thanks?" The response came out as a question.

"No, really, Roxas. You're _glowing_," repeated Naminé a bit more forcefully as she released her hold on him in order to get a better look.

Roxas blinked and looked down at himself. Sure enough, his body seemed to be self-illuminating. "How the hell...?"

Naminé hooked a piece of hair behind her ear before she stood and examined their surroundings. They were, oddly enough, still in the center of the Great Maw, but without any Heartless, Nobodies, or people surrounding them. "I think we have bigger things to worry about," the statement came out as a whisper. Roxas stood up quickly after noticing their surroundings and pulled him to her.

Surrounding them on the cliffs was every member of Organization XIII (excluding, oddly enough, Larxene) and many strong Nobodies. "Surrender yourselves, Naminé, Roxas," ordered Xemnas.

Instead of summoning his weapons, Roxas grasped Naminé a little tighter. "Not gonna happen." He didn't truly have a plan, but he knew that if he didn't let go of Naminé that, even if they were taken, they would be together.

Xigbar pointed his Gun Arrows at them, as did his Snipers, and Xaldin took aim with his lances. "Don't kill them," warned Xemnas. "I don't think they will do Dempsey much good dead."

"Roxas would," murmured Marluxia, receiving a look from Xemnas that immediately shut him up. The others took this as their go-ahead. Xigbar and his Snipers fired at the same time as Xaldin allowed his lances to fly through the air. The lasers shot through and at Naminé and Roxas, separating them, while a few of Xaldin's lances headed toward Roxas' body. Roxas closed his eyes as his body fell and the lances raced towards him. He willed himself to be transparent the way he had been willing himself to become solid and, surprisingly, it worked. The lances sailed through his body and buried themselves in the ground or the opposite cliff wall. The transparency did not last long for, as soon as Roxas' body hit the ground, he became solidified again.

Nonetheless, Naminé and Roxas had been successfully shot down. Xemnas glanced at Lexaeus. "You know where to take Naminé." Then, his eyes settled on Xaldin. "You know where to take Roxas, I trust?" Xaldin nodded as he and the tomahawk-wielder traveled into the Great Maw. "The rest of you are dismissed -- all but Marluxia." Marluxia remained where he was, blinking confusedly, while a few of the other members made remarks at his expense before disappearing.

"Something wrong, Superior?" asked Marluxia innocently as Xemnas approached him. Xemnas narrowed his eyes; he was far from fooled.

"I suppose years of being a Nobody allows you to still feign certain emotions, despite having a heart, hm?" remarked Xemnas. "A pity. It has been such a long time since I had my own that I cannot even pretend anymore."

Marluxia lowered his eyes to the ground and fought the urge to run a hand through his hair. "I am sorry for your loss, sir."

"Ah, but you aren't, Marluxia. I suppose that you have become a bad liar since you got a heart. Then again, you could never full me very well, could you?" Xemnas was scrutinizing the other man with his eyes while, at the same time, his face held an impassive expression. Marluxia shook his head and muttered something incoherent. "Marluxia, I am starting to feel that you know who the final princess is. Do you care to tell me?"

Marluxia nodded earnestly. "Of course, sir. It's Kairi."

Xemnas chuckled; it was a chilling sound. "If you are going to lie, then I assure you I have a way to deal with that..."

**XxxxxX**

Once Rikku had taken care of the Heartless (which had, luckily, only been Soldiers), she managed to make it into the water of the waterway. A voice interrupted her before she could enter the secret area. "You know, you really shouldn't go in places that you don't belong."

Rikku recognized the voice almost immediately and turned on her heel, her daggers drawn. She was unsurprised to see Shawn standing before her with Eye of Truth already summoned. She said nothing for a few minutes -- quite the feat for her -- and simply stared him down with her swirled and green eyes. When he looked away first, pretending to examine his keyblade, she smiled with satisfaction. "I don't believe you."

"Huh?" asked Shawn, obviously caught off guard, as he glanced up sharply. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't believe you," repeated Rikku. "I don't believe that you never cared for Katalin. Not one bit."

Shawn scowled. "What do you know? About me or anything else?"

Rikku nodded to herself. "You're defensive. That's one sign."

"Stop it," groaned Shawn.

"You can't even stand to _hear _it. I'm right," declared Rikku. "But, you know, I think she can do so much better than you. She's kind and selfless while you're a mean, selfish, power-thirsty jerk."

"Now, now, now, you should really try to be _nice_, hm?" suggested a voice that was too familiar for Rikku to stand. A portal appeared outside of the hotel room nearest them and out stepped Larxene. Of all the Organization XIII members Rikku had to encounter on her own, it just _had _to be Larxene. Larxene giggled at Rikku's horrified expression. "Ooh, not scared, are we? That's good. That should make things so much easier!"

Rikku took a few steps in Larxene's direction. "You don't scare me." It wasn't a lie; Larxene wasn't the one Rikku was afraid of.

Larxene giggled. It was loud and raked on Rikku's nerves. Before Larxene realized what was what, Rikku sliced the Nymph's cheeks with one dagger while she sliced the other one horizontally. Larxene moved just in time to avoid getting her throat slit. "Hm, so maybe there _is _more to you than what meets the eye. Either way, I know what'll get you." Her eyes glinted deviously as bolts of lightning rained down on Rikku, knocking her off balance and into the water.

Shawn simply watched with a mixture of horrified attentiveness and a small percentage of sympathy. Larxene glanced back at him and winked. "If you turn your back on us now, I can promise the same will happen to you!" She blew him a kiss before sending another thundaga spell at Rikku, who cried out in pain.

**XxxxxX**

"Do either of you know the bayous well?" Katalin wasn't sure why she asked the question exactly. Naveen had just come from France and Tiana, she imagined, did not spend her nights playing in the swamps. "You know what? Forget it." She was sitting on a bunch of tangled roots that formed a semi-safe seat for her in the water. Her knees were pulled to her chest and she had her chin rested atop them.

Tiana hopped from the lily pad and onto the root beside Katalin. "Don't be upset, Katalin. I have a plan!"

"You do?!" Naveen and Katalin shouted together.

"There's a woman named Mama Odie that lives in this bayou. If we ask around, I'm sure we can find her and she can help us!" informed Tiana.

Naveen also hopped onto the root. "Who are we going to ask? Who lives in a bayou?"

Katalin murmured, "No one you want to talk to."

Tiana shook her head. "Be optimistic! I'm sure there's someone in here who can help us."

"Alright, and how do you suggest we move around in here?" asked Katalin."Well, Naveen and I can use lily pads. You, Katalin can..."

Katalin closed her eyes. She knew the answer and detested it. "No, I can't. I can't swim in this dress; I'll drown."

Naveen rubbed the back of his head. He and Tiana, she noticed, could walk on two legs. "Well, there is another alternative..." Katalin's cheeks burned red.

"I'm not sure how safe it would be to swim in the water, anyway," she mumbled as she stood, wobbling a little, on the roots. "I can probably make my own path, but this," she tugged at the dress, "is gonna have to go."

Naveen's eyes widened. "What are you _saying_?"

Katalin raised her eyebrows. "I'm going to rip it up a little so that it's lighter." She raised Beautiful Disaster and, before their eyes, cut off quite a deal of the bottom of the dress. She cut it so that there was only ruffle, and the dress hung down to about her knees. The majority of the material had been at the bottom of the dress, after all. That was a relief. "Blizzaga," she murmured as she pointed the keyblade at the grimy water. A path of ice began to form. "Let's go!"

**XxxxxX**

When Yuna and Tidus had offered for Auron to come aboard Brother's ship, she had been most unsurprised to have him decline. Brother was quite the character. Quite the character indeed. Riku was to take Mickey's ship and Auron would follow along with him. "We'll stay here," Tifa informed them. "And we'll call you if we find out anything."

"Call with what?" asked Riku, who was standing in the library with Auron, the King, the Queen, Donald, Goofy, and Daisy. "I know we've been using the transmissions, but wouldn't it be easier to have a handheld communicator, like Yuna?"

Mickey scratched his chin before nodding his agreement. "Y'know what? You're right." He opened the top drawer of his desk and pulled out something that was shaped like mouse ears. "Here ya go." The King handed Riku the mouse-shaped communicator.

"We'll call you if we find anyone," promised Riku before exiting the library with Auron silently following behind him.

"Where are we going?" asked Auron, speaking for the first time in a while.

Riku ran a hand through his hair. "I think Traverse Town is our best bet."

**XxxxxX**

Sora and Paine returned to the First District at the same time, but they couldn't find a trace of Rikku anywhere. "She didn't listen?" asked Sora with surprise.

Paine huffed. "She just can't stand still..."

"Hey, has anyone seen a blonde girl running around here?" Sora shouted to the First District at large. A few of the people that were standing outside nodded their heads. "Anyone see where she went?"

A muscular man standing outside of the accessory shop nodded. "I think she went to the Second District," he offered.

"Of course she did," murmured Paine, almost bitterly, as she and Sora headed in the direction of the Second District. They walked to the left of the shop and began to climb up the wall that served as a shortcut to the doors of the Second District. Before they could climb up the box and onto the higher floor, they heard a scream that undeniably belonged to Riku.

Ultima Weapon, which Paine hadn't noticed Sora wielding before, flashed into the Keyblade Master's hand. "The alleyway. Follow me!" he called over his shoulder as he continued down the alley and crawled through a hole in the fence. Paine swiftly followed behind him and gave him a boost over the large boxes serving as a barrier to the remainder of the alley.

When they climbed to the top of the boxes, they saw Larxene relentlessly electrocuting Rikku while Shawn watched from the sidelines. Paine's temper flared as she jumped off the boxes and ran towards Shawn, ignoring Sora's cries for her to "stop" and "wait!"

Shawn and Larxene turned at the sudden noise, giving Rikku just enough time to slash Larxene's stomach open with her daggers before making a quick getaway. One that would, at the very least, allow her body to stop twitching from the electricity. "Shawn, I have a promise to keep," remarked Paine before she slammed her sword down. Eye of Truth quickly rose to hinder Paine's blade from lobbing Shawn's head off.

Sora stopped a few feet short of them watching as Paine knocked Shawn into the wall and Rikku went back to attacking Larxene. Both girls said, in unison, "Don't interfere, Sora!" He squared his shoulders somewhat before taking a few steps backwards and watching the fights from afar.

Many of the thunder spells had pierced Rikku's shoulders, breaking the skin and causing blood to flow all the way down her back, chest, and arms. Yet, despite her fear, she was fighting against the Nymph viciously. Sora didn't know if Larxene was out of magic, or if she had realized that the thunder spells were no longer to her advantage, but the Nymph had resorted to kicking, punching, and slicing with her knives. "'Take them down one by one,'" hissed Larxene as she tried to plunge a knife into some part of Rikku's body and missed. "'The blonde one's your best bet. Start with her.'"

Rikku didn't need to ask who had given Larxene the orders. Dempsey led Organization XIII, now; he called the shots. "Too bad that you didn't realize what a motivator anger is," mumbled Rikku before slamming her blade, almost blindly, into Larxene. She didn't watch where the blade went, not until Larxene staggered back a few steps. Then, she saw where it had landed.

"How perfectly ironic," spat Larxene as she glanced down at the blade, which had made its home in her chest, right where her heart should have been. "All... All I ever wanted was a heart, and maybe the power that comes along with it. You would... You would take that from me?" Her breathing was ragged. Sora was shouting orders of some sort to Rikku, but she couldn't hear him. She didn't need him to tell her that Larxene was putting on an act, wide eyes, trembling lips, and all.

"You're a liar, it's so obvious," remarked Rikku before taking a few steps forward to retrieve her blade. It was a bad idea. She might have realized it had she been paying more attention. As she wasn't paying attention, Rikku put her hands on her dagger and pulled.

A cruel smile flitted across Larxene's lips. "That's fine, believe what you want. But I'm... I'm taking you down with me!" Larxene clenched the dagger and released the last of her life force into a full-out electric attack. The dagger conducted the electricity, and Rikku couldn't break the contact as her body shook with the force from the attack. Paine looked over, distracted, allowing Shawn enough time to get away from her with only a few dozen wounds. He quickly summoned a portal and disappeared into it as Sora and Paine ran forward to assist Rikku.

The attack didn't last long, but it had been strong enough. Larxene dropped to her knees and began to fade as the electricity stopped flowing into Rikku, who tumbled backwards. Paine allowed her blade to drop to the ground as she ran forward and caught Rikku. Rikku's dagger clattered noisily to the ground as Larxene's body faded. "You think you're Dempsey's only enemy? If only you knew," she laughed as she looked up at Sora. "He was just taking a chance on me. His attention is really on the Princesses of Heart."

"Why are you telling me this?" demanded Sora.

"Because I hate Dempsey," replied Larxene with a small giggle. "Au revoir." And, with that, the remainder of her body faded into nothingness. Sora shook off her words and joined Paine.

Paine's face was, for one of the first times Sora could recall, truly concerned. She took her middle and index fingers from Rikku's neck and glanced at Sora. "Her pulse is weak. We have to get out of here."

Sora shook his head. "We can't. We need a ride."

"Ask and you shall receive," remarked Riku wryly. **(A/n: Sorry. xD') **He and Auron were running down the alleyway, toward them.

And something else, quite as strange as Paine showing more than a little emotion, happened then. Auron surged forward immediately and took Rikku into his arms, cradling her to his chest. His brown eyes were wide, his mouth was slightly open. Like Paine, he looked like the perfect picture of true concern. "We'd better hurry. Let's get back to..." Sora trailed off, not exactly sure where they would go. He had been about to say Radiant Garden.

"Disney Castle," finished Riku before fishing the mousey communicator out of his jeans' pocket. "Mickey? You read me?"

"Loud and clear, Riku!" chirped the King.

"We have a situation in Traverse Town. We found Sora, Rikku, and Paine. We're coming back to the castle," he announced.

**XxxxxX**

Shawn was gasping when he exited the portal in the Great Hall. He wasn't sure what it is that had gotten him: Rikku's words, which had been completely right on; watching Larxene slowly (and possibly successfully) kill someone else; or the fact that he had been able to hear Katalin chiding him while he watched Rikku get beaten up. "Shawn, this isn't you," she had been saying in his mind. "You're squirming, having to watch this happen. And you know how much Rikku helped Kairi, Darcie, and I; she's a friend and you're letting this happen? You're scum!"

He shook his head and steadied his breathing. It didn't matter. Katalin didn't matter. All that mattered was what Dempsey was promising him. And, once the man's enemies had been cleared, he would be able to give Shawn what he wanted. He only hoped that Dempsey was keeping up the other side of his bargain.

Even if he asked, he wouldn't expect to get an honest answer. Rikku's words bashed against the inside of his skull once again. Oh, how right she was. Had she been wrong, then he likely wouldn't have been doing what he currently was. Killing himself slowly by betraying his friends.  


* * *

**A/n: I really couldn't not use the song that I did for this chapter. Pretty mellow chapter. Next chapter will probably be the last of Naveen and Tiana. Please review!**


	25. Heart

**Chapter Twenty-five:**  
Heart

**A/n: Reviews, once again, are big love. You guys made me so happy. So, as promised, this is the last chapter involving Princess and the Frog. I originally had a huge outline for this world (yeah, I'm a dork), but I realize now that I'm only using a small percentage. Ha. Enjoy the chapter!**

_'I found a friend or should I say a foe,_

_Said there's a few things you should know._

_We don't want you to see we come and we go._

_Here today, gone tomorrow.'_

**-"Trust Me" by the Fray**

**

* * *

**Darcie had heard of Roxas' and Naminé's capture in the Great Maw. While she was more than a little puzzled about how she had somehow wound up in the Radiant Garden and even more so about why Naminé and Roxas seemed to be the last of everyone here, she knew that nothing good could come of it. She knew that Dempsey would locate the third Princess soon and he would proceed to do... whatever to Darcie, Naminé, and the third princess. Darcie banged on the brick wall of her cell out of frustration. She was unaware the castle even _had _dungeons.

Maybe it had been a slight change in architecture by Dempsey, she thought bitterly as she pulled her hand away from the wall. The jaggedness of the brick had succeeded in slicing open her hand, but it didn't bother her too much. "Temper, temper," muttered a voice that made Darcie's blood boil. Marluxia stepped out of the shadows and before her cell.

"Can I help you?" she snapped.

Marluxia chuckled. "What, too busy angsting to be bothered by me? I have already gotten what I wanted from you, dear Princess. I thought that, perhaps, I would return the favor."

Darcie slowly but surely approached the bars of her cell, making sure to stand a foot or so away from them. "What?"

A card was held between his index and middle fingers. "Your freedom."

"For what?"

Another laugh from Marluxia. "A clever girl you are indeed. I said that I have already gotten what I wanted from you, however..." He reached out and cupped her cheek with his hand. "Perhaps you can offer me more." Darcie's eyes looked almost black in the darkness.

**XxxxxX**

Shawn was still in the Great Hall, and he was still not being disturbed by anyone, much to his relief. He would, of course, have to report Larxene's destruction in due time. Not that Dempsey didn't already know.

_"You're sending Larxene to Traverse Town?" inquired Shawn. He tried to keep his tone disinterested and failed. Traverse Town was a very secluded place; he couldn't imagine why Dempsey would send Larxene there._

_Dempsey, standing in his grand study in his previous headquarters, nodded. He kept his eyes staring through the window, at the beach. The sun always seemed to be setting in this place. "Yes. That Al Bhed girl who fears lightning is there."_

_"So you're trying to pick off Sora and everyone one by one?" guessed Shawn. "Not too bad of a plan."_

_However, Dempsey chuckled. "That's what Larxene thinks, as well. This is not so." _

_"Then... what are you talking about?" murmured Shawn, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion. He was twisting his plaid cap in his hand with one hand while running a hand through his hair with the other. _

_"Shawn, Shawn, Shawn," began Dempsey in an almost chiding fashion. "Rikku will be afraid of Larxene at first, but she will overcome the fear quite quickly. For she wants to do right by her friends. The strength of her heart will allow her to defeat Larxene with little to no assistance."_

_"Then... why send Larxene there at all? Do you want her to fade away?"_

_Dempsey, to his surprise, nodded. "I grow weary of Organization XIII. They have been decent distractions and underlings, but I am in need of them no longer. I have Darcie, will soon have Naminé... Once I have the third, no one will be able to challenge my power."_

_In his head, Shawn was thinking something different. 'No one,' he thought, 'but the three Princesses.' Dempsey knew it, he was sure. Perhaps he thought that he could brainwash the girls, or something of the sort. Shawn had his doubts that even that would work. _

_"I need you to go to Traverse Town and head off Rikku. Seeing you will fuel her anger even more. Then, she will be able to take care of Larxene." _

_Shawn blinked a few times. "So, you want me to help you kill off Larxene?"_

_Dempsey nodded. "If you refuse my orders, then I will have to go back on my part of the deal, won't I?" He ripped the photograph he was holding in his hands, the pieces floating to the floor like snowflakes. He just left the ripped remains of the picture there. Shawn didn't understand how the man could manage to care so little about-- "We wouldn't want that."_

_"No, no. I'll do it." And Shawn had left. Quickly._

Shawn sighed. He was standing across from the keyhole, with his back to it, and was staring at one of the glass cases over the ledge on the higher part of the wall. It was the seventh glass case in the room, the one that had been meant for Kairi years before. Now, instead, her Nobody slept almost peacefully in it.

He almost felt like Naminé knew he was standing there, watching her. He recalled the conversations they'd held in Wonderland. Naminé was very, very likable. If she had been conscious, she would yell at him for what he had done.

She would tell him to make it right. Now.

But, if he tried to make things right, things could go very, very wrong. At least he could keep some people safe if he helped Dempsey. Naminé's voice, yelling some more, rang in his mind. Shawn heaved a sigh,

He had to give in to what his conscious was telling him.

**XxxxxX**

"This is _wrong_! She is not the one!" Kairi's indigo eyes flew open at Maleficent's shrill screams. She had found a comfortable place -- as comfortable as a jail cell got, at the very least -- in her cell with the other Princesses of Heart. They had been quite correct in assuming that Maleficent had captured them all, for everyone from Cinderella to Aurora was imprisoned with her. And, on top of that, she appeared to be imprisoned in one of her favorite places: the Soundless Prison.

Kairi slowly pushed herself into a standing position and walked to the door of the cell to get a better listen. The other Princesses' eyes, now awakened by Maleficent, followed her move. "But, uh, how do ya, uh, no, Maleficent?" Pete's nervous voice asked. Kairi couldn't pinpoint their location exactly, but she assumed that they were near the elevator at the end of the hall. Pete whimpered, Kairi assumed, from Maleficent's withering glare.

"You fool. You _dare _question me?" the witch hissed.

She could just see Pete shaking his head earnestly as he held up his hands. "N-no, Maleficent! 'Course not. Then, uh, who's the last one?"

Maleficent heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. "It must be the other girl. It is _always _the one you expect the least, it seems. Who would expect that orphaned girl, Cinderella, or Alice, or Kairi to be princesses? No one." She inhaled deeply and nodded as she slowly came down from her fit of anger. "It is just as well that I sent Diablo after them. I will go retrieve the other girl and bring the other one back."

"But, uh, what about that other guy? That... Facilier?"

Maleficent laughed quietly in response. "The man only wants power, my dear Pete. That is why he allowed me to take Charlotte. Now, I will simply return and keep my end of the bargain."

"Do you think they lived? I threw 'em off a _balcony_..."

"You take yourself too seriously, dear," murmured Maleficent as she patted Pete's arm lightly. "The girl, Katalin, likely did not make it." Kairi hissed a breath. "The humans turned frogs, I am sure, are fine. Diablo is a good tracker; he will be able to find them. After all, he kept his eyes on that Shawn so well, did he not?"

Pete nodded. "Yeah... that bird knew what Shawn was gonna do before his friends even did!"

Kairi tightened her hands into fists. Something had happened in the Radiant Garden, she had heard Maleficent bragging as much to Pete, but... everyone must have been separated. Did that mean Katalin was on her own wherever this other princess was? And where were the others? Kairi slowly dropped to her knees.

Where was Sora?

**XxxxxX**

"Rikku will be fine," Queen Minnie reassured Sora, Paine, Auron, and Riku outside of one of the many guest rooms that Rikku had been placed in. The Queen, being particularly gifted with healing magic, had been working her hardest with Aerith for the better part of an hour to save Rikku. And it had, apparently, worked. "I promise to watch over her, but you should try to find the others."

Queen Minnie didn't need to raise her voice or anything of the like, but they still knew her words were an order. "Alright, so Traverse Town worked out alright," remarked Riku before turning toward Sora. "Where to next?"

The Keyblade Master folded his arms and considered the question for a minute. "It's obvious where Maleficent is."

"Where?" Paine, the Queen, and Aerith asked in unison.

Riku's eyes widened as the answer dawned upon him. "Of _course_. The World that Never Was. You think she was really that dedicated in rebuilding the whole thing?"

Sora laughed without humor. "She might have left a few things the way they were before it came crashing down, but I bet she mostly redesigned it to her tastes."

"The World that Never Was?" murmured Aerith nervously. "It would be dangerous for you to go there on your own."

The sound of a crackling transmission sounded as Riku fished his communicator out of his pocket. "We've got backup!" Yuna informed them.

Cloud, Leon and Yuffie entered the hallway. "We're ready to go," remarked Leon.

"Operation Save the Princesses is about to commence," said Yuna. "We'll meet you at the World that Never Was?"

Sora nodded. "Sounds good."

**XxxxxX**

Rain was pouring down on Katalin, Naveen, and Tiana. Katalin found herself wonder how her day, her past week really, could possibly get any better. She had, indeed, been correct. The people who lived in extremely rundown shacks in the bayou were not the people that you wanted to speak to. But there sure were quite a lot of them living in one place. After asking a few of the strangers if they knew where Mama Odie lived, the people had averted their eyes and noticed the frogs. The scuffle had been brief, but terrifying, as the bayou-dwellers had attempted to catch Naveen and Tiana for their dinner.

"Either we go with trial and error, or we start talking to animals," stated Katalin. "No more people, unless that person is Mama Odie." She was rubbing her arm, which had been banged up in an attempt to get away from the frog-eaters in a hurry.

Tiana sighed as she paused one a lily pad. "I guess you were right, Katalin. Sorry."

"It was a good idea," Naveen joined her on the same pad and patted her arm in a reassuring manner. Both frogs blushed and looked away, Tiana leaping to the next lily pad.

Katalin cast another blizzaga spell as her path came to an end. "Tiana, do you and Naveen...?"

Tiana blushed immediately. "What? Oh, no. No, no, no! You see, we met earlier, when he first came in from France. He came to restaurant that I work at and he kinda, sorta flirted with me... But it was just flirting; nothing to it!"

"You're a liar," mumbled Katalin. "You like him! Explain to me what happened again?"

Suspicious of the direction Katalin was going in, Tiana said, "Naveen went to see a witch-doctor in town in order for him to find a way to get money from his parents again. His parents cut off his money supply because he still hasn't married, which is why he came here to marry Charlotte. But the witch-doctor was working with someone else who wanted Naveen out of the way, so the doctor transformed Naveen into a frog."

"The doctor's name is...?"

"Facilier," answered Tiana. "He overheard Facilier and his partner talking about Charlotte being a princess..." Katalin had guessed it at first, but now she had no doubt that Maleficent was Facilier's partner. "And he remembered the story about the Princess and the Frog. He never met Charlotte before and when he saw me in her room, he thought I was her. The dress, I guess... I agreed to kiss him once he told me who he was. That and he offered to buy a building for me so that I can finally open my own restaurant..."

Katalin nodded slowly. "You kissed Naveen because you knew who he was."

Tiana blushed again. "He offered to buy me a restaurant."

"I'm not sure _I _would kiss a frog, even if he offered to buy me something that would help my dream come true," confided Katalin before casting another blizzard spell. "That means something. But, what happened after that?"

The blush faded from Tiana's cheeks and she pursed her lips. "Then this man -- Facilier, I guess -- appeared in the room and said something about needing me to be out of the way, too. So, he transformed me into a frog. And you know the rest."

Katalin pushed her hair out of her face. "And I let Maleficent get the final Princess of Heart and your best friend. I'm so sorry, Tiana."

Tiana shook her head. "You did what you had to do. I'm just glad you're alright!" Katalin blinked. Had someone stood aside and allowed Darcie to get captured, then _she _would have been pissed and ripped that person apart. Then again, a pretty similar thing had happened to her nonetheless, hadn't it? The worst part, and it killed her to admit to this, was that she had no one to blame but herself. "A house!" cried Naveen, who had scouted out ahead and was now doubling back.

"No more houses," replied Katalin firmly.

Naveen jumped up and down as he pointed at the house. "But this one is different! Look!" Tiana and Katalin followed him, so they got a better view of the house. They were surprised to admit that Naveen was quite correct. This house was hidden by a thick knot of tress and was surrounded by a field of beautifully-colored flowers.

"That's Mama Odie's!" exclaimed Tiana.

Katalin glanced down at her sharply. "Are you sure?"

Tiana nodded before running towards Naveen and enveloping him in a hug. "Oh, you're so, so wonderful. Charlotte would be lucky to have you as a husband!"

A blush appeared on his cheeks. Tiana's words reminded Katalin of something. "So, if you were a frog hiding in Charlotte's room, Naveen, who was the Naveen that was downstairs, hanging on Charlotte's arm?"

Naveen's facial expression darkened, something which was quite frightening to see a frog do. "My friend, Lawrence, was eager to have a chance to be rich and famous. He came inside of the shop, looking for me, and Facilier offered him to look like me and get everything he'd ever dreamed. Lawrence agreed. He didn't seem too concerned in finding me, either..."

"Some friend," scoffed Katalin.

"But Mama Odie will be able to fix us soon enough," pointed Tiana. "Let's hurry!"

**XxxxxX**

Auron had elected to stay behind, leaving Sora, Riku, Paine, Tifa, Yuffie, Leon, and Cloud to travel to the World that Never Was. They spotted a large red ship, appearing more like a giant motorcycle more than anything, hovering near the world. Sora glanced at Paine, earning several yells from the others as he was the pilot. "Is that, uh... Brother's ship?"

Paine raised her eyebrows somewhat before nodding slowly. "I would have to say yes. I'd like to ride that thing. It would sure beat riding this..."

"It's pretty cramped in here; I don't think anyone would disagree if you left right now," murmured Leon, earning himself a glare from Yuffie. The transmission screen dropped down suddenly, startling a few of them. Yuna was visible, sitting in front of the transmission screen of, they guessed, the other ship.

Someone was shouting in the background in a tongue the majority of the ship was unfamiliar with. "Brother, crid ib," Paine ordered at the same time as someone else on the other ship.

"Are you guys ready?" asked Tidus as he appeared behind the chair Yuna was sitting in. Sora nodded. "Who'd you manage to get?"

"Wakka and Lulu only," he answered ashamedly. "Sorry."

"Don't be," replied Riku. "Not many people would be willing to leave their world to fight in another for something that really doesn't involve them. I think we have a decent enough amount of people, anyway."

Tidus flashed a grin. "Then, what are we waiting for? Let's land!"

**XxxxxX**

No one would have been able to explain what they saw had they just been entering the corridor where Marluxia and Darcie were. All they would be able to tell was that both of them were panting heavily and there were multiple wounds on their bodies. "As fun as that was, you can let me out now," growled Darcie.

Marluxia flipped the card over in his hand as a cruel grin appeared on his lips. "No."

"What?" her voice was low and dangerous, but Marluxia wasn't intimidated. "N-o, no."

"You _can _spell. Huh. You see, I always figured that all of that hair weighed down your brain," another voice remarked as a portal appeared near the cell. Axel stepped out with a smug expression.

Graceful Dahlia flashed into his hand. "Axel. You're no longer part of the Organization. You shouldn't be here."

"And yet I am. Imagine that," replied Axel, his voice sounded almost bored. He still hadn't summoned his weapons.

Marluxia nodded to himself. "If I kill you, then the Superior will trust me completely once more. This is excellent. Alright, Axel, enjoy fading once again."

Axel laughed, his chakrams flashing into his hand. "Once? Do you know how many times I've _pretended _to fade? Huh. Maybe I was right about your brains after all." Marluxia's response was knocking him back with a gust of wind.

**XxxxxX**

Mama Odie was almost exactly what Katalin had expected her to be. She was short, clothed in white robes, wore glasses, and also wore a boa around her neck. Not the accessory; she wore a legitimate boa constrictor around her neck. "I'm afraid I cannot help you two until you open your hearts," the woman informed Naveen and Tiana with a sad smile. "The answer is within you."

Naveen and Tiana blinked. "We nearly got eaten by stranger bayou-dwellers, had to walk miles to get here, and avoid hungry crocodiles just to be told _this_?" demanded Naveen, his accent becoming more apparent the more he spoke.

"My children," laughed Mama Odie. "Look in your hearts! What do you see there? Look into each other's eyes!"

Katalin, unable to take waiting another minute, blurted out, "Admit you love each other!" Tiana, Naveen, and Mama Odie sent her sudden, surprised glances. Her cheeks burned and she brought her eyes down to her feet. "Uh, I'm just going to, um... Take a breather outside." She exited the small house and sat herself down on one of the rocks in the center of the flower field.

A figure rose out of the water. The man was breathing furiously. "Listen to me! I saw you at the party, with Tiana!" He looked like... Naveen!

"Lawrence, right? The one who stole his best friend's identity for his own selfish ends?" She asked angrily but, at the same time, with an overall indifferent tone.

The man blushed and, in a puff of white smoke, his body reformed. He became a significantly shorter, plumper man with gray-white hair. "I knew Facilier did not mean for me to live a lie forever," mumbled Lawrence before looking up at Katalin. "Listen to me! Facilier and his friend are in a fit. Charlotte is not the true princess; it is Tiana! You must hurt and... and... and..."

"I am quite disappointed in you Lawrence," the voice of a new man informed him. In a puff of what looked like miasma to Katalin, a new man appeared. He was tall, dark, and, in Katalin's words, "crazy-looking". His face was white with paint and looked like it had been purposely painted in such a way to resemble a skull. A tall top hat sat atop his head. "I gave you what you wanted, for however briefly, and you betray me in such a way!" His eyes were not a very normal color; they looked golden.

Beautiful Disaster flashed into Katalin's hand, and she jumped up as Lawrence dashed behind her to hide. "So you're Facilier. Why would you help Maleficent?"

Facilier scrutinized Katalin a moment before responding. She knew by the look in his eyes that he was hardly intimidated by a rain-drenched girl wearing a fancy dress while wielding a giant key. "Maleficent told me that if I help her, she will allow me to rule over this city! I will finally be able to wreak all the havoc I want, and _no one _will be able to oppose me once I have power."

Katalin shook her head. "Another power-crazed idiot? Why don't you just crawl back into whatever hole you came out of? Then, I won't have to hurt you."

Facilier took another scrutinizing look at her before tipping his head backwards and roaring with laughter. The laughter bordered on the sound of insanity. "Hurt me? _You_? I am far from concerned, my dear! And, when I am finished with you, perhaps you would like to become a frog, too?" His voice had changed tones dramatically and was now very, very frightening. A shudder Katalin was unable to suppress ran down her spine.

The door banged open as Naveen and Tiana, now human, exited the house with joyous expressions. "You were right, Katalin! It was love. Love saved us!" remarked Tiana. She was wearing something different than Katalin remembered her wearing before. Now, she was wearing a long, sleek icy-blue dress complete with elbow-length gloves. She looked absolutely breathtaking.

"Facilier!" roared Naveen as he took a few steps forward.

Katalin waved them both off. "Guarantee you that you're only going to get in my way, Naveen. Let me handle him, okay?" She settled her eyes on Tiana. "Tiana, I was wrong about Charlotte. She's _not _a Princess. But, _you _are. You're one of the final Princesses of Hearts that I've been looking for. Maybe you _can _help."

Tiana nodded and ran forward to join her. Facilier had narrowed his eyes dangerously at the two girls now, and black miasma was smoking off of his body. "Tiana, light's going to be the best against him. Channel your light at him while I attack him. Okay?"

"How do I do that?" asked Tiana.

Katalin bit her lip. "It's... hard to explain. Just focus what's in your heart into a form that you can use, okay?" Tiana nodded and Katalin ran forward. She slashed at Facilier and he disappeared. She quickly slid her feet to a stop, ripping off the heads of some flowers, and stumbling somewhat. He reappeared in front of Tiana, as did a ring of Shadows. "Light, Tiana! Use it, hurry!"

The Shadows noticed Katalin and surged toward her with one the hungriest looks she had ever seen in their tennis ball-sized eyes. She slashed vertically at them as they jumped at her with their claws flexed. What was _with _these things? Facilier cried out and stumbled back a few feet as a bright light, too light for anyone to really look at, burst from Tiana's hands and hit him square in the stomach. He doubled over and tried to catch up with his breath.

A disembodied cackle filled the bayou. "Very good, very good. Well done. Princess!" Tiana glanced around wildly, as did Katalin. It was Maleficent's voice, now she just needed to find the source. Maleficent appeared, in a flash of green and black flames, atop Mama Odie's shack.

"Maleficent, back off!" ordered Katalin as she knocked back another line of Shadows. Maleficent glanced at her with an annoyed expression.

"You are still alive? How disappointing," she sighed before snapping. Something flailed around in the water. "I suggest you turn around, dear." Katalin didn't know why she did it, but she turned around very slowly. A crocodile, gargantuan in size, had its snout pointed down toward her. Its eyes were the same color as Facilier's. It breathed out through its nose, twice, and Katalin tumbled backwards.

A crack sounded as a bolt of dark lightning struck down from the sky and knocked Tiana to the ground. Katalin rolled off of her back and attempted to join her side, but the crocodile dropped its full weight down onto her. And it hurt. A lot. She screamed louder than she would have liked. The hint of a smile was on Maleficent's lips as she appeared in the field of flowers. She lifted the Princess up bridal style. "Perhaps you should have joined Dempsey after all, dear. Then, you might not be such a pathetic excuse for a fighter and a friend." Flames engulfed Maleficent's body, and Tiana's with it, and the two of them were gone. Katalin dug her nails into the field, ripping up some flowers and digging dirt into her nails. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Then, without warning, she screamed. It wasn't a scream of pain (not the physical sort, anyway), but one of anger, frustration, and one that she had been holding in since she had first lost her uncle. As she screamed, she felt the strangest sensation build up inside her chest. It built up for a minute or so, then burst from her body. She wasn't sure where it was originating, just that the power blinded her from seeing much of anything and filled her with one of the most satisfying feelings in the world.

The crocodile Heartless roared as the power ripped away at him, and Facilier released a scream from his lips that was more shrill than any of Katalin's had been. Spots appeared in her eyes when she blinked. She was still so blinded that she didn't notice that someone else was with her until the person was lifting her up. Katalin felt strangely exhausted. "We have to get you out of here," the person declared as he summoned a portal and began to drag her inside.

She should have felt more at disease than she did. The voice was familiar, but it belonged to someone familiarly bad. Had she not still been coming down from the high of her power, Katalin would have been doing anything to free herself and inflict pain on him. After all, the last time she had been alone with Shawn, he had attempted to kill her.

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**A/n: The French Quarter turned out to be a lot different than I expected. Can't say I'm altogether disappointed, though. xD' The song for this chapter was another Shawn/Katalin song. Heh. Please review?**


	26. Better to Have Loved

**Chapter Twenty-Six:**  
Better to Have Loved

**A/n: I'm sure you all are familiar with the quote that I used part of as the title. Wow, so I'm absolutely exhausted from senior orientation. And, let me say, it was a bitch. xD' So, here's another chapter! Yay. I may actually finish this before I go back to school. I has a week. Let's see if I can do it? Thank you so much for your reviews once again. You have no clue how much it means to me. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Kingdom Hearts!**

_'When my time comes, forget the wrong that I've done._

_Help me leave behind some reasons to be missed._

_Don't resent me, and when you're feeling empty,_

_Keep me in your memory;_

_Leave out all the rest, leave out all the rest.'_

**-"Leave Out All The Rest" by Linkin Park**

**

* * *

**Marluxia and Axel fought each other with expert precision, but it was obvious that the two of them had faced each other in battle so often that they knew the other's moves perfectly. Axel knew there was one move of his own that Marluxia wasn't familiar with but, with a glance at Darcie, he knew it wasn't worth it. Instead, he surrounded one of his chakrams with fire before hurling it at Marluxia, not expecting it to do any damage. While Marluxia was focusing all of his energy and attention on blocking the weapon, Axel disappeared. Darcie watched the two of them with a sort of tired interest. She was exhausted from fighting with Marluxia, and doing whatever she had in the corridor of the other dungeon.

Axel reappeared behind Marluxia, enflamed his other chakram, and hurled it at the Graceful Assassin's back. Marluxia knocked the first chakram away and was thrown to the ground by the chakram. The fire burned through the back of his coat before spreading to the rest. He was left in nothing but a pair of nice jeans and fitted tee. Marluxia was breathing heavily, but Axel looked fine. Darcie wondered if it was true that hearts weakened people more than helping. "Kill me, Axel. But we both know what your reasons are, don't we?" snarled Marluxia, not bothering to get off his knees, and glancing at Axel over his shoulder. His eyes were feral.

"I guess we don't because I don't have a clue what you're talking about," replied Axel. "Enlighten me."

A smile appeared on Marluxia's bloodied lips. "You are, and always will be, jealous of me. My power. And, most recently, my heart. That is why you're killing me."

Axel considered him for a minute. "Wrong and wrong again. Do I wish that I had a heart, too? That after miles of running, I can feel my chest pulsing viciously? Sure. But, you know, I don't really need a heart. Because my friends," his eyes paused on Darcie briefly, "make me feel like I have one."

"Then, tell me, Axel, why _are _we fighting?" Darcie laughed. She didn't mean to, but the scenario was humorous, especially the way Marluxia said it. Axel's eyes, slightly concerned, flickered to Darcie briefly. Her clothes were tattered and dried blood was caking her skin. He knew she had looked better before he had departed for the Radiant Garden. And now...

"Because I never liked you," admitted Axel. "And, besides that, I can't let you run around and hurt all of my friends. That's just not nice."

Marluxia chuckled. "If you kill me, Dempsey will revive me."

"If I kill you, Dempsey and Xemnas will sing French praises in falsetto." The chakrams returned to Axel's hands; he pumped more of his power into it, setting them ablaze with fire. "You are the weakest link, Marluxia. See ya." With flame bursting off of his whole body, Axel hurled his chakrams and the flame engulfing him at Marluxia. Graceful Dahlia flashed into his hand as he turned and attempted to protect himself with a wall of vines. The fire burned away the vegetation before burning away at Marluxia's body. Darcie tried to ignore the inhuman scream of pain while Axel almost reveled in it.

How he wished he had been the one to land the finishing blow on Marluxia so many years ago. When all that was left of Marluxia was a few burnt pieces of cloth and Graceful Dahlia, Axel grinned. "Fire beats grass, Marluxia," he murmured before bending down to pick up the key card. As he approached Darcie's cell, he asked, "You okay, kid?"

"You should probably stop calling me kid. You're, what, a few years older than me?" asked Darcie with the smallest hint of a grin. The smile faded as her eyes settled on all that was left of Marluxia. "Huh. That's going to get me in my dreams."

Axel shrugged as he slid the card in the slot. It beeped and turned red. "We'll get you a dream elixir."

"That would be a bad idea," noted Darcie. Axel tried a few more times and still got the same result.

"Damn. It's a fake," growled Axel.

Darcie groaned. "So all of this," she gestured to herself, "was for nothing?"

"You enjoyed it, didn't you?" asked Axel. She could tell he was mostly joking. Mostly.

She somehow managed to push him through the bars. "Shut up and get me out of here."

Axel frowned somewhat. "I'm going to have to... pretend, a little." He bent down and picked up Graceful Dahlia before pulling his hood up. "I'll get the key from someone. Just hang out a little."

Darcie narrowed her eyes. "I'm tired of hanging out here."

"Just a little longer," pleaded Axel. He cleared his throat and attempted to change the pitch of his voice somewhat. "How's this?" His voice was way too high.

Darcie frowned. "That's not nice." Then, she was cracking up. It could have been from the stress, the pain, or the fact that she had just watched a man get burnt alive. "Hurry up."

"Roger," agreed Axel before disappearing down the corridor.

**XxxxxX**

"Can Brother fight?" wondered Sora once he had landed the ship in an inconspicuous alley in the World that Never Was. Brother had beamed Yuna, Wakka, Tidus, and a woman he guessed to be Lulu down as well.

Paine half-laughed. "What, Brother? No, no."

Yuna winced somewhat. "If he were to try, then we would all probably develop astraphobia."

"Astra... huh?" asked Sora.

Riku elbowed him. "Fear of lightning and thunder, Sora."

Tifa giggled somewhat as they stepped out of the alley and into the rainy streets of the Dark City. "Sora, I'm starting to wonder if you pay attention in school, when you're there, of course." Sora frowned somewhat. "That's not fair," he mumbled as Ultima Weapon flashed into his hand.

"Our destination?" inquired Cloud as his eyes glanced around the skyscrapers surrounding them.

"The Castle that Never Was," answered Sora, his eyes unconsciously floating to the moon where Kingdom Hearts lay. The Door to Darkness Xemnas had opened was, naturally, no longer there.

Yuffie snorted somewhat. "What a funny name."

"Yuffie," said Leon with an influx that made the ninja shut her mouth. "Was it this peaceful the last time you came here?" Shadows that had been lingering in the shadows of the alleyways and buildings crept forward. The only ones that moved quickly were the ones that were standing behind him. Cloud swung around and fell a group of them with expert precision with the First Tsurugi.

Sora and Riku nodded. "Pretty much. There's no point in fighting them all off; more will just keep appearing in their place," informed Riku as he and Sora started forward, destroying only the Shadows that got in their way.

"This place is seeped in darkness," noted Paine as she stomped down on a Shadow's antenna, holding it fast to the pavement. "What a place to bring Princesses of Heart."

"Too bad Roxas and Naminé aren't here; they could have gotten us into the Soundless Prison without a problem," murmured Sora. "We would be in and out."

Tidus shook his head somewhat. "What if they're--"

"Don't finish that sentence, Tidus," advised Lulu, speaking up for the first time. Riku and Sora glanced back at the mage and Wakka, considering the two of them for the first time. They had been planning on harassing Wakka, but now... Things were too serious to even consider.

The group walked, marched, really, in silence until they reached Memory's Skyscraper. Then, Wakka asked, "'ey, shouldn't that Maleficent have guards or somethin' waitin' for us?"

Riku shot him a glance. "Don't jinx us."

"Ah, but the carrot-top has a point!" agreed a voice that annoyed even those who had never met its owner. A portal appeared and out stepped none other than Dempsey in all of his arrogant glory. He turned to face them. "How nice to see you all are doing well." Yuna's staff flashed into her hand. If she was surprised to see it, it was nothing compared to how the others felt. "Ah, my dear, you killed off your Aeons, remember? You cannot summon them here." Yuna looked pained at the mention.

Tidus and Wakka took a few steps forward, weapons in hand. "Don't talk to her," warned Tidus in the most terrifying growl Riku and Sora had ever heard out of him.

Dempsey chuckled quietly in response. "You're all so touchy, hm?"

"Where are the others?" demanded Sora. "Everyone. Darcie, Roxas, Naminé, Axel, Katalin..."

Another laugh from Dempsey. "All but one never got very far from the Radiant Garden."

"You're holding everyone in the Radiant Garden?" asked Leon, Revolver held at the ready. "You wouldn't take Naminé from the Radiant Garden, if that's your base," murmured Riku. "Darcie's probably been moved there, too. But the others..."

Dempsey hold up a hand. "I did not come here to reveal a tell-all to you. Just know that your friends are, ah... Being dealt with, at the moment. All of them, I am sure. I am here to retrieve what is mine: the other princesses."

"Maleficent helped you," pointed out Tifa with disgust. "You would turn your back on her just like that?"

He nodded unashamedly. "The witch only sped up the process for me. For that, I have given her enough, I think. Such as allowing her to collect the princesses first. Now, however, I am through playing games. She has all of the Princesses of Heart and I need only one more."

They all waited with bated breath to see if Dempsey knew the identity of the girl. "And...?" asked an uncharacteristically annoyed Yuffie.

"I have yet to find her," admitted Dempsey. "But in due time I shall, worry yourselves not."

"Don't hold your breath," mumbled Tidus.

Dempsey chuckled. "You all should be grateful. I am eliminating a common enemy for you."

"We don't need your help," growled Sora.

"Ah, is that so?" Dempsey put his index finger to, they guessed, his chin. "Because, the last I checked, you still don't know where to find your friends."

The group had finally had enough of the waiting and taunting. Surprisingly, the first to snap was Lulu as she cast a Thundaga spell that Dempsey promptly avoided. He wagged his index finger at them. "Temper, temper."

"Go to hell," spat Cloud before he, Paine, Leon, Sora, and Riku rushed forward with their weapons.

**XxxxxX**

The sun was intensely warm in Diamant de Plaines, not that the weather too strange for summer. If it was still summer. Katalin had, admittedly, lost track of the time since she had left home. Even then, she had been to so many different worlds that she didn't even know how much time would have passed here. She was, thankfully, no longer wearing the ripped remains of the once-grand ball gown. Instead, she was back in her jeans and the blue shirt. And she was kneeling on the parched field of the Nature Center, near the river. The sun and exhaustion had combined together to make her very, very tired, but she still found the strength to ask...

Why? How did she get here?

Katalin pushed herself to a standing position. All around her the birds were chirping and the bugs were buzzing. For the first time in living memory, she didn't twitch or jump as bees buzzed near her head. She glanced around, but she was alone. The parking lot was empty, and the gate was even closed. Surprise, surprise. "Shawn?" she called, softly.

"I wanted to protect you, you know," came his soft murmur as he stepped off the porch of the Nature Center's main, and only, building. He looked exhausted. "I wanted to mean every bad thing I ever said to you. But I really couldn't."

"Sure seemed like you did," she replied a little harsher than what was necessary.

Shawn recoiled, but nodded. "I deserved that."

"You sold your friends out to Dempsey. You sold _me _out to Dempsey."

Before she could finish the last sentence, Shawn remarked, "That's not true!" The reply was so fast that the words strung together, but she could still understand him. Katalin raised her eyebrows a little. "I've been protecting you from him. You're the reason I went with him!"

"Are you telling me that I made you go to the darkness?" asked Katalin, a little confused. Wow, she felt lightheaded. He shook his head, an amused smile on his lips. "How have you been protecting me? I recall getting encased in a rocky tomb and nearly getting washed away. Where was your protection then? Or back in the French Quarter, when Pete hurled me off the balcony and that crocodile broke my back?" Her back, she was surprised to note, felt perfect. "Where were you when I needed you?!" The final sentence came as a surprise to both of them. Katalin's eyes were wide and glassy. She clasped her hands over her lips, as if she could undo what had already been done.

Shawn moved off of the porch a little faster than he had been and reached out to her. He thought of the picture Dempsey had torn up and left on the floor for an instant before shaking it off. "Kat, I--"

When he was much closer to her, less than a foot, she backed away. "No." She shook her head, her voice soft. "No," she repeated firmly. "You... am I supposed to thank you? Should I thank you for selling out my friends, the ones who have been taking care of me since this mess started, and trying to 'protect' me?"

"Katalin, please. Do you want to know what I've been protecting you from?"

"_No_," it came as a cry. Katalin cursed but didn't bother wiping away the tears smearing the smeared remains of her eyeliner worse. "I don't know what your twisted word of 'protect' even means. It's probably nothing. How, though, could you sell out the people that have been helping you out? Darcie would have even warmed up to you had she not known that you were a traitor. God." She backed up again and gazed around the field and stopped her eyes on the forest. "Why? Why did you bring me here?"

Shawn reached out once more, but retracted his hand when he thought better of it. "To remind you why you're fighting," he answered softly.

Katalin tilted her chin up a few inches in defiance as her hands clenched into fists. "I don't need a reminder. Maybe you need one, though. I fight because I lost my uncle here for reasons I didn't understand at first and, now that I think about it, still don't. I fight for the friends that fished me out of that river," she gestured to it, mostly because it was something to do.

"If Kairi hadn't known you had a keyblade, she wouldn't have saved you," came Shawn's dry remark.

Katalin laughed quietly. "You really think that she, or Riku, or Sora would have seen me in the river, without a keyblade, and walked away?" She nodded to herself once. "Then, that says a lot about you. Something I've been trying to deny this whole time. But I guess it's true."

Shawn ran a hand through his hair. "Fine. I didn't want to do this but... It's cool. Maybe it's better that you die without knowing." He turned and began to walk off. She knew it was just for effect; he'd have to summon a portal to get back to Dempsey's side.

"What? That I'm a Princess of Heart from the light realm? That much has been obvious to me for quite some time," remarked Katalin, almost bitterly, as she watched Shawn leave with dry eyes.

He turned on his heel and demanded, "You knew?!"

"How could I not? There was no way for Marluxia to get a heart from Kairi, because there's no way for her to be _that _princess. Naminé was there, Darcie was there... And it may have been crowded, but you didn't really think some random girl in the crowd was a princess, did you?" Katalin realized she was fumbling just a little bit with her words. She shook her head and kneeled back down in the grass. All she wanted to do was reach out to Shawn, follow him, and have him hold her. But she couldn't trust him; he was a traitor.

Shawn nodded. "You have good friends. And if they don't come looking for you, maybe you can go back to your normal life."

Katalin laughed. "My life will never be normal; I'm a princess. Sooner or later, Dempsey will realize it and use me."

"I'm not going to tell," murmured Shawn as he turned toward her, if only for a moment. "See ya, then, I guess." She watched him as he summoned a portal and disappeared, leaving her alone again. Katalin shook her head somewhat before freezing in mid-movement."

Something cold and sharp was poking her neck, settled at the base of her skull. Katalin swallowed hard. "So you're _the _princess that we have been searching for. I imagine Dempsey will reward me grossly when I return with you..." Katalin had never met him, but she knew by the thing that was poking her and by the slight accent that the person behind her was Xaldin. "I'll try not to break you beyond repair, Princess."

Katalin threw herself forward and landed on some wildflowers. The bugs that had been about to land on the petals buzzed angrily before flying off. She turned over on her back and summoned Beautiful Disaster. "I'm afraid I can't let you capture me and blow my cover. Let's see if your as tough as Sora said you are."

Xaldin chuckled. "You have spunk. It might be an admirable trait had you been willing to come along peacefully."

**XxxxxX**

Axel had been able to fool Xemnas, who appeared to have been in a hurry as they passed each other in the corridors. Xemnas hadn't been running or anything of the sort, but the air around him had been that of a man in a rush. Perhaps that was why Xemnas hadn't questioned him. When he remembered what he was doing, Axel called, in a voice that was far from Marluxia's and certainly not his own, "Xemnas, do you have the key card for the cells?"

Xemnas paused and turned around to glance at him. His eyebrows were knitted together. "XI, do you have a cold?"

"Maybe a little," answered Axel.

Something of a smirk appeared on Xemnas' lips as he murmured something about karma under his breath. "Ah, so you tried to free your little jail bird from her cell with your key, then?" Axel nodded. "I apologize, but you cannot be trusted to carry the real one."

"Do you have it?" demanded Axel. He was surprised and delighted to hear his voice, in its sharpness, resemble Marluxia's a tad more.

Xemnas chuckled. "Now, if I told you that, I would have to kill you, wouldn't I?" Without another world, he turned on his heel and disappeared around the corner.

Axel gave the two-fingered salute to no one in particular. "Way ahead of you," he murmured before turning in the opposite direction and starting down the hall.

"VIII, you look and sound ridiculous," a man with an English accent informed him. Axel froze in his tracks. A man with short, light blond hair with a few ear piercings and a trace of facial hair was standing behind Axel. One of his arms were folded while the other was pressed, in a thoughtful manner, to his chin. "Take off the hood, Axel." Axel turned to face Luxord and threw the hood of although he wasn't quite sure why he did it. An amused smile appeared on the Gambler of Fate's lips. "Put down that ridiculous weapon."

Graceful Dahlia clambered noisily to the ground. "Luxord, if it's a fight you're looking for--""I just wanted you to look like less of a fool before I talked to you," assured Luxord. Axel frowned. "Now, let's play cards."

Axel groaned. "Luxord, I don't have _time _for thi-- Wait. Hold on. You're aware that I'm no longer a part of this Organization, right?"

"A traitor for the second time," agreed Luxord. "Or maybe the third, depending on how you want to look at the picture..." A deck of cards materialized in his hands. "Now, come. Pick a card, any card."

"Why aren't you annihilating me? Is this some sort of new attack?" asked Axel wearily.

Luxord laughed once and offered a spread hand of cards. Slowly but surely, Axel reached in and grabbed one of the guards, the second from the left. A grin spread across Luxord's face as Axel drew back the card and turned it over. It wasn't an average playing card. Axel, his face incredulous, brought his eyes to meet Luxord's. "Congratulations, Axel. You chose correctly."

"The key card? But why..."

"Dempsey gave it to me," answered Luxord with a shrug. "He trusted me the most, I suppose." This came as no surprise to Axel.

"And you're handing it over to me because...?"

Another shrug from Luxord. "I tire of this second life." He gave Axel no room to argue, for he disappeared into a portal that had abruptly appeared behind him.

**XxxxxX**

Dempsey did not bother to fight him. Instead, he moved back a few paces and allowed all of the attacks to fall short of him. "I am not fighting you," he remarked simply. "Now, just stand back while I do what it is I came here to do."

"And what's that?" demanded Wakka although Dempsey had already monologued what that is.

"Wakka, hush," ordered Lulu under her breath.

Sora grinned somewhat. "You two are perfect for each other."

Dempsey shook his head before taking a few steps in the direction of the castle. "Just you wait. I will have those princesses soon enough. I have already had a few Organization members go inside to wreak some havoc. They should be able to do enough for me to cause some damage." A portal appeared beyond his hand. "Have a nice time in the rain."

The group stood around for a few minutes, allowing the rain to soak their hair and clothes. "So, uh, what now?" wondered Tidus.

"Tch," came Riku's reply. "You don't know?"

Yuna clapped her hands together. "We fight."

"Storm the castle?" guessed Paine. "I'm sure we'll need more distractions than the one's Dempsey has."

"We can do distractions," noted Yuna as she thought back to the Battle of 1000 Heartless in Hollow Bastion the previous year.

**XxxxxX**

Xemnas was more than a little aware that the man he had spoken to in the hallway had been Marluxia. The fact that the person had been wielding Graceful Dahlia told him all he needed to know: Marluxia had been eliminated. He couldn't complain. Under Dempsey's steady watch, however, the Organization seemed to be crumbling once again. It had been Dempsey's waste, of course. If he really needed more lackeys, he could always revive the souls of those who had passed.

He shook all of these thoughts off as he entered the supposed 'secret lab' of his Somebody's old mentor. Xemnas passed the computer and took the elevator leading to the lower floor, the Heartless manufactory. The guns at the end of the room had been reformed so that they would not create Heartless, but attack the person imprisoned there.

Roxas had yet to awaken, Xemnas noted with some amusement. He wanted so badly to destroy him yet, at the same time, he wanted to make him suffer as he had suffered. Roxas had caused many problems for Xemnas and the Organization. Now he finally had the chance to punish him for all of that.

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**A/n: I felt pretty blah while writing this, so I'm sorry that it's lacking a significant amount of action and stuff. xD' You know what would make me feel much better, though? Reviews! See you in the next chapter! It'll be better, I promise. Dx' **


	27. Consequences

**Chapter Twenty-Seven:**  
Consequences

**A/n: I think... this should end relatively soon. I know it won't be longer than thirty-four chapters. I'm not sure if it will even be longer than thirty. Geez. That's an author fail. xD' Warning: my updates are going to be hella slow for the next few days. I'm really busy. xD' But I'll try to update still! Soso I'm glad you all liked the last chapter. Once again, thank you all for your reviews! Taking a leaf out of Lesser's book for the lyrics today... :DD Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Kingdom Heartssss. **

_'I'm fine, I'm fine, these words are all I have to hide behind_

_So get behind me, you have no right to say..._

_I shut my mouth and walk away from the memory game._

_**So don't forget, don't forget I am the reason**__.'_

**-"A.O.K" by Motion City Soundtrack**

**

* * *

**Katalin wanted to be angry that she wanted Shawn back as much as she did, but she knew that there were bigger things for her to focus on at the present. Like preventing one of Xaldin's lances from piercing through her body. It was certainly something she hoped to avoid. She ducked as one of the lances sliced at her head, then threw herself to the side as another one made to stab her. Xaldin wasn't supposed to _kill _her; he was supposed to attack her just enough so that she was capture-able. "You shouldn't be trying to kill the Princess that your boss wants."

Xaldin considered this for a minute. "I have been thinking on it, on every conversation I have had with my fellow Organization members, and I have decided that perhaps it would be for the best if I killed you."

"Come again?" asked Katalin with wide eyes and a soft voice.

Xaldin chuckled. "We do not want Dempsey to prosper after he has refused to give to us what we desire: hearts."

"If you kill me, _no one _is getting a heart," pointed out Katalin.

He shrugged somewhat. "A minor inconvenience." Katalin rolled over in the grass in order to avoid three lances. When she moved, she saw that the lances, in addition to Xaldin's magic, had formed a huge crater in the ground. Katalin gulped and scrambled to a standing position.

It was slowly becoming obvious that she was out of her league.

**XxxxxX**

With a proud grin, Axel slid the card through the slot in Darcie's cell. The door flew open with a satisfying click. Once she was out, Darcie threw her arms around Axel's neck. "Words can't describe how thankful I am," she told him.

"Then, forget words?" suggested Axel before pressing his lips to her. Her eyes widened and, for a minute, he thought she might push him away. Then, she was wholeheartedly returning the kiss.

When they finally broke apart, gasping for breath, she said, "How clichéd." To his surprise, she laughed. "You know, it's weird, but even without a heart, you seem to have more emotions than Marluxia."

Axel rubbed the back of his head. "Even with one, the only emotions he can probably remember are anger, fear, and lust," he commented. "Now, let's get out of here."

"Where are we going to go?" wondered Darcie.

"I bet Disney Castle is a good idea. But I'm... I've never been there before. I don't think I can link a portal to there." Ask and you shall receive. In a flash of green and black fire, Maleficent appeared in the corridor just a few feet away from them.

She smiled. "Trying to get away from Dempsey? I would be more than happy to help."

"Why?" demanded Axel and Darcie.

Maleficent laughed quietly. "He is double-crossing me as we speak. If that is how he treats his allies, then I will show him the same treatment. I will make sure that he loses his chances at gathering the three princesses he so desires." A portal appeared beyond her outstretched hand. "There. The deed is done."

"If Dempsey is double-crossing you, then why are you here? Shouldn't you be dealing with him?" asked Darcie.

She shook her head. "No, he is not inside the Castle -- not yet. For now, your friends are dealing with him. But his Organization members... I have armies of Heartless at my disposal; I do not fear them tearing apart the Castle. Besides, I have set," her eyes flashed, "traps for them."

Darcie nodded as she and Axel stepped into the portal. "Tell Sora and Riku that my debt to them is repaid." The portal closed behind them, and they were left in the darkness.

"Axel, where did you get the keycard?"

Axel rubbed the back of his neck. "Luxord gave it to me. I don't know why," he admitted.

**XxxxxX**

Kairi had been keeping on her guard for some time now. She stood in one of the front corners of the cell with Radiant Destiny hidden behind her back. There was no way for her to explain what or who she was waiting for; it was just a feeling that had settled itself into her chest. Most of the other princesses were sitting down although a few, like Alice and Belle, stood at the ready. With a blush, she realized that her fellow Princesses of Heart were looking to her as their _leader_.

It was best not to let them down, be that the case. A set of heavy footsteps started down the hallway, and Kairi was willing to bet that Pete was about to approach them. "Be ready to get him with your light, alright?" The others nodded.

When the figure of a man settled in front of the cell, it was certainly not Pete; it was a man, a Nobody, that she had never seen before. He was tall and had an obviously muscular chest hidden beneath his coat. A large tomahawk was being wielded in his right hand. Without speaking a word to the princesses, he raised his weapon, and Kairi moved backwards just in time for him to whack at the bars. A few strikes from his tomahawk was all Lexaeus needed to break open the cell. "Come," he ordered the princesses.

A sweet smile appeared on Kairi's lips. "Hey, thanks," she said as she stepped forward, earning surprised and fearful gasps from her companions. She quickly pivoted and settled the guard of Radiant Destiny into Lexaeus' gut. He grunted in discomfort and fell back a few steps, giving Kairi enough time to call the other princesses out of the cell. "Use your light!" she ordered them before running forward and slashing at the Nobody.

But Lexaeus was ready for her. He easily guarded with Torn Heaven, catching Kairi's keyblade in the curve of his blade. With his large fist, Lexaeus punched Kairi in the stomach. Hard. She flew backwards, down the white hallway, and didn't move. Some of the princesses began to whimper, but Alice and Belle stepped forward with their hands held in front of them. They felt the warmth of the light in their hands channel through their bodies, out through their hands, and... "Light!" They cried in unison. The warm power exploded from their hands and knocked Lexaeus into a white wall that was nearly impossible to tell existed.

"Come on, then," Alice urged the others. "We have to take care of him!"

Tiana nodded her agreement but stooped beside Kairi. She focused her light but transformed it into a form that she could use to help Kairi. "Healing light," she murmured as the white escaped her fingertips and entered Kairi's stomach. The redhead's violet eyes flew open and Tiana slowly eased her up.

"Thank you," said Kairi as they stood side by side.

"Anything for a friend," replied Tiana with a smile.

Kairi tilted her head to the side. "A friend?"

"We're both princesses," laughed Tiana as she pointed out the fact. "And, besides, Katalin told me about you. We have a friend in common, in that case, right?"

"Is she...? Was she alone?" asked Kairi as they watched the other princesses hammer Lexaeus with light.

Tiana nodded. "No Sora or anything, sorry. But I'm sure help is on the way. Now, we should probably help the others before they get hurt."

Kairi grinned. "Let's."

**XxxxxX**

The bridge leading to the Castle that Never Was was now made of stones the color of blood and had guard rails on either side to protect people from falling. Sora wondered why since, after all, the only person Maleficent had to worry about falling was Pete. And if he fell, Sora wasn't sure Maleficent would so much as shed a tear. "You know, I'm surprised Maleficent didn't recruit more people," said Sora, a little uneasily, as he reached out to touch the rail. As he did, it disappeared in a puff of darkness and Heartless began to jump at him. Ultima Weapon flashed into his hand, and Sora proceeded to beat back the Shadows, knocking some off the bridge.

Riku shook his head somewhat at his best friend. "Maybe after what happened with Oogie Boogie, she was worried others would be that dense."

"Is that even possible?" Sora wondered.

Tidus laughed. "I don't know, Sora. You kind of proved your own point by triggering a trap," he pointed out. Several people hit him at once, all girls, but he tried not to acknowledge who.

When they neared the end of the bridge, they finally looked up to admire the castle. It was certainly different from before. For one, it floated no longer. Now it was blacker than the night sky and shone like it was made of black obsidian. In fact, it probably _was. _

Guarding the castle's doors, albeit not well as he was sleeping, was a man of a particularly large size. Or was it a man? The person in question looked like his body was made from stitching together many burlap sacks. The bagman snored loudly and grunted. "Well, speak of the devil," murmured Sora without enthusiasm as he stopped the group short of the burlap man. "Oogie Boogie."

"We could distract him," offered Yuna with the same amount of enthusiasm that seemed to be in every one of Rikku's sentences.

Paine considered the idea. "But how...?"

Yuna clasped her hands together and turned towards Sora. "How good are you with magic?"

He shrugged somewhat. "I'm okay... Why?"

"You said something before about him being fond of harassing Santa Claus, right? If you can use magic to change someone's clothing, then..." Yuna trailed off as Oogie Boogie gave one large final snore and awoke.

He narrowed his eyes, which really may have just have been holes cut in the bag, at the group. "Well, well, well! If it isn't Sora and... Uh... Who are the rest of you?" asked the bag of bugs.

Riku rolled his eyes as he summoned Way to Dawn and took a few steps forward. Leon and Yuffie abruptly stepped in front of him, hindering him from moving closer to Oogie. "What are you...?" He stopped himself as Leon glanced back at him.

"Yuffie, Cloud, and I can take care of him," stated Leon matter-of-factly. "The rest of you go ahead. Find the princesses."

Sora looked like he was going to argue, but Leon managed to stop him with a glare. Instead, he nodded. "Alright. We'll see you soon," he murmured before leading the others into the castle. The room they entered had walls the color of royal purple and was very, very large. There were numerous doors on the level they were on as well as the levels higher up. In the very center of the room was a long, winding staircase that seemed to lead to the very top of the castle, although it had many smaller ones leading off of it and onto separate floors.

Sora whistled quietly at the sight and, just because she could, Yuna also did. "Maleficent really redesigned this place," noted Riku. "Go figure."

"We have to find the dungeon. It's probably going to be down, so we should split up," declared Sora.

Lulu pursed her lips. "This Maleficent is..." She seemed to be unable to find a word that would describe exactly what Maleficent was.

"An evil bitch?" suggested Tidus. Everyone in the group nodded their heads in agreement.

"That wasn't exactly my point, but yes," agreed Lulu as they stepped into the center of the room. "If Maleficent expects us to come here, as I am sure she does, then she will have likely set up tricks. Using the staircases that are supposed to go downwards will probably, instead, send us upwards."

Wakka rubbed the back of his head. "So you, uh, sayin' that we should be going through the higher rooms instead?"

Lulu nodded. "Precisely."

"Unless she expects us to be suspicious," argued Riku. "I know her. She may very well be planning the opposite of what we're thinking."

Tidus and Sora groaned. "So, what are you saying?" asked TIdus.

"Expect the unexpected?" suggested Paine. "We still have to split up."

A chuckle from somewhere above them tore them from their discussion. "Man, oh man, are you guys clueless?" remarked a man with a surfer-dude accent.

"Xigbar..." murmured Sora as he raised Ultima Weapon. "Show yourself!" Another laugh from the Nobody. Then... A bunch of lasers rained down upon him, and he only managed to raise his keyblade at the last minute to block them.

Paine frowned. She recalled Xigbar attacking Rikku, Kairi, Katalin, and herself back in Dream Zanarkand. She had not appreciated how much bumpier he had made the ride. "Xigbar is working with Dempsey. What is he attacking _us _for?"

The view before them shifted as Xigbar, standing upside down in midair, appeared with his Gun Arrows pointed in their direction. "You should've listened when he told you that he was on it," replied Xigbar. "Now I've been ordered to destroy you."

"Xigbar's easy enough to take care of," remembered Sora, "so we don't all need to stick around here."

Riku nodded his agreement. "I'll stay. Lulu, Wakka, and Tidus can help me out. The rest of you..." Tifa, Yuna, Paine, and Sora were the only ones left.

"Better hope we don't run into anyone else," murmured Sora. "Tifa and I will take that door," he gestured to one on the left. "Yuna and Paine, you take that one." He gestured to another door directly opposite from his. The group divided quickly as Xigbar disappeared to another one of the levels and began to snipe out of everyone's view.

**XxxxxX**

Although Maleficent had promised she had good intentions, Axel and Darcie were still more than a little surprised to find themselves in a bright white room. In the center of the sparkling room was a cornerstone of sorts with some sort of light being emitted from the inside. It was very pretty. Darcie found herself walking towards it without really realizing what she was doing. She had been about to touch it when someone shouted from the doorway of the room. "Darcie, you're okay!"

Darcie's eyes widened and she hastily dropped her hand to her side as she and Axel turned towards the voice. Before they had the chance to really get a look at the speaker, she darted across the room and threw her arms around Darcie's neck in a quick, but particularly painful, hug. "Great to see you, too, Riku. Could you let me breathe, though?"

Rikku withdrew her arms quickly and pulled back with a large smile on her face. "Sorry. Wow, you look terrible."

"Thanks," came Darcie's reply.

"Hold on," Rikku held together her hands and closed her eyes briefly as a white light escaped her hands and enveloped Darcie's body. When the light faded, Darcie realized that she felt brand new. Her clothes were ripped no longer, as well. "Well?"

Darcie nodded. "Much better. You got pretty good with white magic."

Rikku shrugged. "Yunie showed me a few things before our fight with Sin."

Sin. It dawned upon Darcie that she had missed out on a whole lot. "Where is everyone?" was what she asked despite all of the questions running through her mind.

"Sora, Riku, Leon, Yuffie, Cloud, Tifa, and Paine went to meet Yunie, Tidus, Lulu, and Wakka at the World that Never was," answered Rikku with her lower lip stuck out. "But here I am."

"Why _are _you here?" inquired Darcie with one eyebrow raised.

Rikku smiled somewhat and shrugged. "I got into a little spat with Larxene. Just before I had the chance to get a finishing blow on her, she used some sort of suicide move that made me a little jittery."

"Hn. She nearly stopped your heart from beating," remarked Auron in a tone that seemed almost forced to sound like he was stating a fact. He was leaning in the doorway, appearing younger than Darcie remembered him being.

Darcie pushed some hair behind her ears. "So you two are the only ones here. Can you explain to me what exactly has been going on since I got captured?"

**XxxxxX**

Katalin all but hurled herself to the ground as Xaldin assembled all of his lances to form a dragon. She made sure to do it at the last minute so that the energy blast would pass over her and just miss her. Getting hit by the attack once had been enough for her. While she may have been way out of her league, at least she could manage some slightly good defense. As Xaldin tried to recover from using the attack, Katalin sprang to his feet and knocked into him with Beautiful Disaster. She hadn't noticed how close they were nearing to the river until she realized that she had just knocked him against the guard rail that, in theory, was supposed to stop people from plunging into the river.

Things were looking up but not enough. She needed help. As if she had thought the magic words, Shawn's hand settled on her shoulder. She looked up at him with surprise. "I never really left," he admitted, almost grudgingly. "I was watching from where you couldn't see me."

Katalin had wanted to come up with a retort of some sort, but she was just thankful that Shawn was there. She threw her arms around his neck and enveloped him in a too-short hug. "Good. I need you. And I'm... I'm sorry. I know you were just trying to do right by me. I'm sorry."

Shawn finally smiled and released a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. Then, he put his arms around her back and pulled her to him. "I was really expecting you to hurt me or something. This definitely beats that," he remarked.

"How sweet," said Xaldin as he suddenly hovered in front of them, his body surrounded by the protecting wind of Aero. "Perhaps you two fools can die in that position." With a little more harshness, he added, to Shawn, "I will make sure that Dempsey knows where your loyalties lie."

Shawn half-heartedly released himself from Katalin and stepped in front of her. She found, suddenly, that she only wanted to hold him. She didn't care about Xaldin's presence. Katalin shook her head a little. What was wrong with her? Her mind had been thinking so fiercely about this that she only caught the end of Shawn's sentence: "...where my loyalties lie."

Katalin's mind was getting foggy again. She fell to one knee and shook her head once more. Something wasn't right... "Katalin, come on! Kat!" Shawn's voice was pleading, but it wasn't coming from in front of her; it seemed to be everywhere. She ran her hand through her hair. "Katalin!"

Her eyes opened, and she realized that she wasn't really in the Nature Center. Instead, she was on her back in the pit-like field behind her house. Shawn was standing protectively in front of her with blood pouring from various wounds on his body. He was hunched over slightly and his breathing was a little labored. Everything she had seen had been a dream. If that was the case, then why had it seemed so... vivid? _'You really don't know?' _A voice asked her within the confines of her blinked her eyes ferociously and didn't sit up. Not yet. The voice was familiar. Too familiar. _'Katalin, dear, are you hearing voices?' _Dempsey's voice was ringing in her mind, but that wasn't possible. Unless she was going... _'Crazy? Yes, there's always a chance of that, isn't it?'_

_'Stop talking to me,' _warned Katalin. She was fighting with... herself? Or was she? She was so confused.

_'They say that the first sign of insanity is not hearing voices but fighting with your own,' _said Dempsey. _'Now, Katalin. I am not very happy at this moment in time. So I ask one thing of you: I want you to come see me at the Radiant Garden. Turn yourself in. I promise to harm your friends a little less than previously planned, then.' _

Katalin ignored him. She pushed herself to her feet and stood beside Shawn. To her surprise, she found that his enemy was Xaldin. How much of her dream hadn't been real, then? "You were talking and groaning," Shawn informed her. "I was worried."

"Worried about me?" she repeated sharply. "Have you seen what you look like?" A shirt that she didn't remember him wearing before -- a buttoned up quarter sleeve dressy shirt -- was ripped in several parts, the most concerning of them being his left shoulder, which was caked in dry blood. The shirt was unbuttoned a little to reveal a scar over his heart. A scar that Katalin remembered delivering personally.

Shawn waved her off. "I'm fine, it's just a small little cut. So, uh, now that you're through talking to yourself," she jumped but realized he was joking, "will you help me with him?" It didn't really appear that Shawn needed _that _much help. Every breath Xaldin drew sounded like it was painful to use. Then, she realized that one of his ribs appeared broken.

Katalin recalled using her light, with everyone else, against Seymour in Spira. Her light had managed to outshine the rest. Xaldin already looked like he was about to keel over and die; her light should be more than enough. She nodded and closed her eyes. "Okay." She didn't yell like she had before just grasped hold on the power within her. She held onto the power until it burned just a little and forced it out through her hands. Shawn watched in awe as the light pierced through Xaldin's body like it was made out of paper.

Black began to engulf the Whirlwind Lancers' body. They approached him with Shawn somewhat supporting Katalin. "So, any kickass final words?" asked Shawn.

Xaldin looked at the two of them for a minute before chuckling. It was loud and borderline insane. "Fuck." The only sign that he had been in the field in the first place was a small patch of broken and ripped dandelion heads and grass.

Katalin wanted to laugh, but she knew that there was something she needed to do. And fast. "Shawn, I need to talk to my mom. Badly. But she's still not home, so we're going to have to walk a few blocks..."

"No, no we're not," replied Shawn. "You're not going to be able to make it a few blocks, Kat. Why don't we utilize the corridors of darkness."

She frowned. "I can't--"

"Just visualize where you want to go, take my hand," he ordered lightly, "and try it. Go on." Katalin took his hand in hers and closed her eyes as she visualized the small house, the backyard, the view of the kitchen... And with a spark of light that made Shawn cry out somewhat. A flowing portal of darkness didn't appear from beyond Shawn's hand. The portal that appeared before Katalin's outstretched hand was bright and white with something of pink tinged into it. It looked much more welcoming than the portals leading to the Corridors of Light.

Katalin immediately started toward it, but Shawn's dead weight hindered her from moving much. "Oh, come on. Are you really telling me that scares you more than the black and purple ones? The worst it can do is, you know, lighten your heart."

"Isn't that what I have you for?" mumbled Shawn before grudgingly following her.

**XxxxxX**

Another railing of a higher floor crumbled as Lulu and her Moogle doll attempted to cast an ultima spell at Xigbar. "He must be dead by now, right?" asked Tidus hopefully.

Riku snorted. "If Xigbar was dead, you would know it."

Wakka scratched the back of his head. "Then, we need a new plan, ya?"

"Why don't we just burn this place to the ground?" suggested Tidus.

"Because that would defeat the purpose of saving the Princesses of Heart," pointed out Lulu. When Tidus' eyes widened with his infamous 'Oh, I get it!' expression, she rubbed her temples. "Wakka, give me your ball." **(A/n: lolwut? x3) **

Wakka looked confused, but nodded and handed over the blitzball. Lulu and her doll concentrated their magical energy and lit the ball ablaze with a firaga spell. "Whoa!" cried Wakka in surprise as some of the flames leapt off of the ball.

Lulu turned towards the other two. "Riku and Tidus, seek out Xigbar and use all of your power on him. Then, Wakka can throw his Firaga ball at him, and I will land an ultima spell on him. That should be enough to finally defeat him."

"So we just have to find him?" asked Tidus.

Riku frowned somewhat. "It's not that easy." He jumped backwards as an onslaught of lasers fired from the third floor. "There. Let's go!"

"Wait. What?" blurted out Tidus, but Riku had already grabbed him and was propelling them up the staircase. He jumped off of the stairs' railing and pulled himself over a still-standing railing. Tidus followed his lead, albeit a little less gracefully.

"Knew you would get up eventually," remarked Xigbar as he reloaded his Gun Arrows and pointed them at Tidus and Riku.

Riku found himself wishing that he could still use dark aura or his shield. As the lasers came barreling towards them, he settled for a hasty reflega spell. Xigbar cried out as his lasers were redirected and knocked him to the ground. "Huh. Guess Sora never tried that one. Hurry up," he added to Tidus, who still seemed in shock, before surging towards Xigbar. In one fluid movement, he knocked Xigbar into the air as if the Nobody weighed nothing. Tidus surged forward with Brotherhood and followed suit. After a few combos, they knocked Xigbar off of the balcony.

"I got it!" cried Wakka from below before hurling his fiery ball at the falling Nobody. Xigbar shouted -- although it was a sound without any true emotion -- as the ball propelled him further into the air. Lulu inhaled a deep breath before she concentrated her energy on one final ultima spell. The Moogle jumped out of her arms, hugged its body briefly as she did, then outstretched its arms to its sides. With a loud crack, something that sounded a lot like fireworks being set off, a bright red magic spell burst around Xigbar's body.

Xigbar had no chance for his last words as his fading body was mostly gone by the time he hit the ground. And, when he hit the ground, the way his neck twisted suggested he would have been unable to talk in the first place. "Do we follow the others or take a different door?" Lulu called to Riku.

"Take a different door," answered Riku almost immediately. "Join us on this floor."

**XxxxxX**

The door that Yuna and Paine took led to a dark hallway with plum-colored walls. The hall had a dead-end but there was a bright green and purple at the end of it. When they entered the portal, they appeared on a balcony of some sort. While neither of them recognized it, it was the balcony overlooking the Hall of Empty Melodies. On the floor below, Saïx was confronting Pete. Lunatic was in Saïx's hand, and Pete was sweating bullets. "I-I-I'm outta here!" cried Pete as he ran towards the door opposite of Saïx; the Berserker did not try to stop him. "Maleficent can take care of herself!"

As Pete left, Saïx turned on his heel to glare at the girls. "I do not have time for you. I have the highest orders to take care of the witch herself," he remarked in a way that sounded like he was expecting them to stop him. Yuna glanced at the bright form of Kingdom Hearts hanging over them.

She shook her head. "We won't stop you," she told him. With a satisfied smile, Saïx, claymore still in hand, took the door opposite of him. Yuna turned towards Paine. "Now where should we go?"

Paine gestured to a portal on another part of the balcony. "We portal hop," she answered simply.

**XxxxxX**

As the Princesses of Heart turned away from the shutdown elevator, it occurred to them that there was no other way out of the dungeon. "Way to lock us in, Maleficent," a fairly tall woman wearing a turquoise outfit with long black hair murmured, spitting the witch's name like poison.

"How do we get out?" fretted a blonde wearing a long-sleeved azure dress.

Kairi shook her head. "Jasmine, Aurora, there's a way out," she assured them. Everyone gazed at her with surprise. She tapped her chest, where her heart was.

"What... do you mean?" came the weak voice of another blonde wearing a powder blue ball gown.

"Plenty of people can use the corridors of darkness, right?" asked Kairi rhetorically. "If we utilize our light and envision where we want to go, can't we do the same?"

The others nodded enthusiastically. "But where _do _we want to go?" inquired Alice.

Kairi closed her eyes and envisioned Sora, where he could be... "Kairi!" She reopened her eyes and blinked. Her imagination was getting rather vivid. "Kairi!" Sora's voice called again, this time joined by a woman's; Tifa's.

"Sora! Tifa! Where are you guys?" called Kairi as she gazed around the dungeon. Tiana tapped her shoulder and pointed inside another cell.

Tifa, looking annoyed, was standing at the bars with her hands grasping them. She was trying to pull them apart, Kairi realized with some amusement. Sora, however, just looked plain confused. The Princesses approached the cell with amused and worried expressions. "Keyblade Master, how did you get in there?" asked Cinderella, her blue eyes wide.

Sora frowned somewhat. "We went through this door and there was a portal... We went through it and wound up here. But then the portal disappeared, and now..."

"You're trapped," noted Kairi as she suppressed the urge to laugh. She smiled and put her hands through the bars. Sora ran forward and laced his fingers with hers. "You're okay. Thank goodness. I was so worried..."

He grinned. "No reason to worry about me."

"You accidentally fell into a trap and now you're in a jail cell," noted Tiana. "Isn't that a reason?" Sora's grin disappeared at her words.

"Get us out, please," pleaded Tifa.

**XxxxxX**

As Katalin had hoped, she and Shawn appeared behind a line of small condominiums. They stepped out of the bright portal behind one with a large garden filled with many flowers, bushes, and a few tomato plants. Katalin stepped onto the patio, shaded by the balcony of the upstairs condo, and knocked on the glass door. Shawn hesitantly followed her as she stared inside of the living room.

Two loud barks, both from relatively small dogs, sounded as one of the dogs, a small Shih Tzu with light brown, white, and black coloring ran to the door. The dog flew right into the glass and was momentarily paralyzed. "Mercedes..." murmured Katalin as she shook her head.

A woman chose that moment to walk into the room. She recognized Katalin at the same time as the latter recognized her. Katalin's mother pushed aside Mercedes with her foot and slid the door open. "Katalin! Oh, thank God, Katalin!" she cried as she enveloped her daughter in a tight embrace.

Shawn shuffled his feet against the ground uneasily. "I'll stay outside," he murmured as Katalin was whisked into the house. She tilted her head to the side in confusion as he shut the door behind her.

Then, her mother was whisking her into the back of the house, informing the inhabitants that Katalin was home. And, for a minute, Katalin allowed the homey feeling that usually came with her grandma's house to settle in her gut.

In the meantime, Shawn perched himself of the concrete stone-lined walls that made up the heightened courtyard stretching behind the condos. He kicked his feet against the stones as he eyed the vegetation growing in Katalin's grandma's garden. He realized that he recognized the tomatoes from a conversation Katalin had once in school with a friend. She had mentioned planting them for her grandma for mother's day.

"You are a foolish boy. It may have been smarter for you to join them," Dempsey's voice said from behind him. It sounded different from usual, for it had lost its overall mirthful tone. Now it sounded dangerous and very, very angry. "Not that it would have stopped me from coming after you, of course."

The world around Shawn began to fade until it was completely black and silent.

* * *

**A/n: The title means different things for different characters. For Shawn, it's the consequences from doing the right thing. For the Organization XIII members, it's the consequences from getting a second shot at life. Which, in their cases, is not getting what they were promised from Dempsey and such. Hope you all enjoyed!**


	28. Strength in Numbers?

**Chapter Twenty-Eight:  
**Strength in Numbers?

**A/n: Oh. I probably should have come right out and said this, but the Princesses of Heart killed Lexaeus. My bad. xD' UGH. I only have a few days left to finish this monster... Can I do it? Only time will tell. Enjoy the chapter and listen to the song? I was caught between "West Coast Smoker" by Fall Out Boy and the song whose lyrics I posted... So you may choose which one you want to listen to. :3  
**

**Disclaimer - I don't own anything aside from my plot and OCs.**

_'Don't need no drugs, you're my chemical.  
_

_ Now I'm dependent, swear I'm clinical.  
_

_ Addicted to those glances, taking chances tonight;  
_

_ I need a fix in those heroin eyes.'_

**-"Dance, Dance Christa Paffgen" by Anberlin**

**

* * *

**"Your father?" repeated Katalin's mother with surprise. "Why would you want to ask about him at a time like this?"

Katalin didn't appreciate that her family members were staring at her like she was insane. They were all gathered in her grandmother's room. She, her mother, and grandmother were sitting on the fluffy King-sized bed while her cousin sat, much to her grandmother's annoyance, on the long vanity, scattering precious mementos as he did so. "Dempsey. That's not his name, right?"

"Dempsey?" her cousin repeated. He was playing with the black gauge in his ear without really looking like he was paying attention. Katalin knew him better than that. He was just trying to appear disinterested. "Definitely not, Kat."

Maybe he was the Nobody of her uncle, then. But why would he feel the need to torment her every chance he got? Unless she made him feel something, so he wanted to get rid of so that he didn't... Nothing made any sense. Katalin groaned and dropped her head into her hands. She knew that she had to find Sora and the others; it was the only was. She picked her head back up and hopped off of the bed, sliding somewhat on the glossy wooden floors. "I have to go," Katalin told them slowly.

Her mother and grandmother looked horrified and opened their mouths to argue, but her cousin nodded and also hopped off of his seat. "Right. You still have to save the world, right?" A wry smile was on his lips, and Katalin found herself smiling back. She quickly hugged her grandmother, then her mother.

"I promise I'll be back soon, okay? I'll be alright, don't worry about me," she said to them before exiting the room. Her cousin was following behind her. Nothing bad could very well happen to her, could it? If she was going to die, then it probably would have happened already. "Hey, Jay, thanks."

Jay grinned and nodded. "Yeah, whatever, Squirt. Just remember that you owe me."

"What could I possibly give you?" He gave her a look.

"You're so clueless, geez," he murmured. "Let's see your keyblade."

Katalin complied almost immediately. Beautiful Disaster flashed into her hand in all of its lethal glory. "This still doesn't look like the keyblade of a Princess of Light, but..." She trailed off and shrugged. He chuckled and pulled her into a headlock.

"When we were kids, we used to always hope something like this would happen to us, didn't we? We used to hope that Professor Oak would come to our houses and give us our first Pokémon. Then, I grew up and gave up on the fantasies. You, on the other hand, get to live it," said Jay as he released her and folded his arms. "So why don't _I _get a keyblade?"

Katalin smiled. "Take it up with King Mickey," was her only reply as she started for the backdoor. When she realized that she couldn't see Shawn any longer, her heart skipped a beat. She kept Beautiful Disaster in her hand and asked, "Where did he go? Where's Shawn?"

_'You really need an answer to that question, my dear? He betrayed me. I must punish him,' _Dempsey's voice rang in her mind once again.

_'Who are you?' _demanded Katalin.

_'Wouldn't you like to know? You can find me in the Radiant Garden, at the Castle. I suggest not bringing anyone else with you. It could mean terrible things for your friends. Darcie, Shawn, Naminé, and Roxas.' _

Katalin narrowed her eyes, her grip on her keyblade becoming painfully strong. Dempsey was... threatening her. Would it be smart to follow his threats? "Jay, you're an expert on making bad choices." He hit her for that, his strength enough to slightly knock her to the side. "How did you make up your mind to do what you have?"

Jay, realizing that she was being serious, considered the thought for a moment. "It's going to sound borderline sickening, but I looked into my heart. Saw what choice I should follow... And did the opposite," he answered with a small shrug. "That's it."

"Your heart? But, you've done _some _stuff, dude. Wasn't that a little risky?" asked Katalin.

"Isn't following your heart always?" retorted Jay before ruffling her hair. "So, whatever you're trying to decide, don't do what I did. Follow your heart and you should be okay. When you get back, we're figuring out how to get me a keyblade."

"I promise," agreed Katalin before stepping outside. She took a few steps down the yard to make sure that Shawn wasn't really just hiding out somewhere. Then, she slowly inhaled, concentrated on where she wanted to go, and summoned another bright white portal. As she stepped into it, Katalin mentally thanked God that no one had been outside to witness her portal.

**XxxxxX**

Maleficent awaited at the very top of her ornate castle. She had watched Pete running out of the castle while screaming in a very unflattering manner. He had not been stopped or attacked, however; perhaps it had been _because _he was running away. She had, likewise, seen Leon and the others rip through Oogie Boogie like he was nothing more than a bag of bugs. A smile quirked at the corners of her lips. But he _was _nothing more than a bag of bugs, wasn't he? After the swordsman, Cloud, stepped on the beetle that was Oogie Boogie's main brain, she had sealed the entrance to her castle.

No one could get in, now. At the very least, _they _could not hope to get in, not without being able to summon portals. "Admiring your view for the final time?" An emotionless voice asked from behind her. Maleficent slowly nodded to herself; she recognized the voice immediately. For whatever reason, she found herself meeting Saïx more often than she did Xemnas. Always.

"What are you blabbering on about, fool?" replied Maleficent as she turned with her staff.

A cold smile appeared on Saïx's lips, one that made him bare his teeth, like an animal. "Without being able to tap into your darkness, Maleficent, you cannot hope to defeat me. Darkness is, for you, power. Without it, you are nothing but a washed up old hag."

Maleficent narrowed her eyes. "You know not what you speak, Saïx." But she knew that he was right. Without being able to tap into her complete darkness and become a dragon, she could not defeat him. Her eyes slowly drifted up to Kingdom Hearts. Saïx could tap into his full power and go into Berserker mode.

Was she really doomed to die by his hands? "Even if you could tap into your darkness, Maleficent, you would not. Once you go into that dragon form, you are unable to get back. Collecting the Princesses of Heart would have been a waste, wouldn't it? That is why I am here to liberate you." Lunatic flashed into Saïx's hand. "Let us end this. We will make it very, very quick."

**XxxxxX**

Sora and Tifa had been sprung from their jail cell relatively easily. Only, not exactly. It had taken a lot of light on the part of the Princesses of Hearts, but the bars had been beaten up enough for, finally, Tifa to break them apart. "Now what?" asked Sora. "You said the elevator's not working, right?"

Kairi nodded. "We go with my plan. I saw the foyer of the castle... We can go there." She envisioned the royal purple walls, the emerald green carpet, the long winding staircase... A burst of light appeared from her hand and formed into a large portal. Everyone stared at in surprise, even Kairi. "Let's go."

**XxX**

When they appeared out of the portal in the foyer, they found the others already there. Everyone had equally annoyed expressions on their faces, but they promptly disappeared at the sight of Sora, Tifa, and the princesses. "Kairi," the others called the redhead's name in surprise. "You did it, Sora," remarked Riku with surprise.

Sora frowned. "Well, not exactly. We fell into a trap and they had to help us out, sort of..."

"We can leave, ya? This place gives me the creeps!" remarked Wakka.

"We all split up. How are you back here?" inquired Tifa. Paine narrowed her eyes and said something about dead-ended portals. "Maleficent really thought ahead."

Sora eased his arms behind his head. "Since we got the princesses, we should leave. We can come back and deal with Maleficent once we've hidden the princesses away."

No one disagreed. "We'll go back to Disney Castle and work out a plan," decided Yuna. When they tried to open the doors, they realized that they were sealed. It took Sora, Riku, Tidus, Wakka, Paine and a few magic spells from Lulu to open it.

Cloud, Leon, and Yuffie backed away from the door. "You left us out here!" complained Yuffie.

"Maleficent sealed the door," pointed out Cloud.

Leon ignored them both as they began to argue. "You got the Princesses of Heart. Where to now?"

"Back to Disney Castle," answered Sora as they started down the long bridge. No one heard the sounds of Saïx and Maleficent, from way up high, fighting.

Riku pulled Kairi to the back of the group with him. "Hey, what's up?" she asked him as they picked up the tail of the group.

"Can you summon a portal for me?"

Kairi raised her eyebrows. "Maybe... Where do you want to go?"

"Radiant Garden," he replied.

"Why? Without us? That's dangerous, Riku!" she hissed.

Riku shook his head. "Can you just trust me? Kairi, I'll be fine. It's not me I'm worried about." Of course she trusted and believed in him. Wordlessly, Kairi lifted her hand and summoned a portal, one that would bring him to the Postern.

"We'll catch up with you soon," promised Kairi as the portal appeared and Riku disappeared into it.

**XxxxxX**

"Everyone is in the World that Never Was right now, and my best friend is MIA? Fryd dra vilg?" demanded Darcie dangerously.

A smile quirked at the corners of Rikku's lips. "Katalin wasn't kidding about you two learning Al Bhed," she remarked. "But, you're right. So," she clasped her hands behind her back and swayed from foot to foot. "What are we going to do?"

Darcie blinked. "You're looking at me?"

"Well, yeah," answered Rikku. "Come on! You've been with Dempsey for a while. Do you know any of his weaknesses?"

She shook her head. "I've definitely seen more of Marluxia than I have of Dempsey. But Axel can probably be a huge help to us..."

Auron sighed. "And now I have the strangest sensation that something unwanted is about to happen."

"Let's take a Gummi ship to the Radiant Garden!" Rikku and Darcie exclaimed at the same time. "With Auron and Axel we can't go wrong," declared Rikku.

Axel rubbed the back of his head. "You think the King will give us a ship?"

Darcie nodded. "Of course he will. All I have to do is show him how cute I am. Then, he'll fork over one of his best ships pronto. Fer sure."

Rikku nodded enthusiastically. "Let's do it!"

**XxxxxX**

Riku entered through the main part of the castle with Way to Dawn already in his hand. Things hadn't looked very good outside; it looked like Dempsey was allowing Heartless and Nobodies to rage around the Radiant Garden. He kept to the shadows as much as was possible. Dempsey appeared to have already begun redecorating the castle. The walls were bright red and the carpets looked like they were either black or a very dark purple.

When he entered through one of the doors, he found himself in an unfamiliar hallway. It was long and the color schemes appeared to have flipped. Now the walls were black and the carpet was red -- albeit a very dark red. The black made the hallway look smaller and more closed in than Riku was sure it really was.

As he reached the middle of the long hall, a portal appeared in front of him and a blond stepped out. One with eyes the color of neon green antifreeze. "Ah!" cried the Nobody in sudden surprise as he noticed Riku was also in the hallway.

"Demyx, right?" acknowledged Riku as he raised Way to Dawn.

Demyx shook his head earnestly. "U-uh, n-no! You have the wrong guy! Guess you m-must be thinking of someone else, huh?"

Riku raised one eyebrow. "I'm not stupid, I know who you are," he replied, earning a squeak of fear from the Nocturne. "Demyx, I know a little about it, so I know you hate fighting." Demyx nodded his head eagerly.

"Bad, bad stuff," he agreed.

"Then, why don't you get out of my way and tell me where Dempsey is? Maybe I won't make you fade away."

Demyx's eyes widened with surprise and delight. "He's in the Great Hall with Naminé and, uh..." He rubbed the back of his head as he tried to remember the name of the other one. "Oh, yeah! Shawn!"

"Shawn?" Riku nodded to himself. "Good. Now I can finally keep my promise. What about Darcie? Where is she?"

"Gone," answered Demyx. "Luxy gave Axel the card to her cell before he left earlier. I don't know where they are now."

Riku nodded his head somewhat. At least Darcie was out of Dempsey's clutches. "Thanks, Demyx. The others will probably be here, soon. You might want to leave before then." And Demyx, so relieved that he wasn't going to get ripped apart by Riku, quickly summoned a portal and disappeared. He quickly moved to the door at the end of the hall, although not at a rushed pace, and put his hand to the knob.

As he did so, he was abruptly knocked off of his feet by a weapon of some sort. Riku fell, cracking his head on the doorknob on his way down, and collapsed on the ground. Xemnas chuckled somewhat. "Did you really think that the only one you would run into was IX? Fool," he scoffed as Riku tried to push himself back up. "If it is a fight you are looking for, Riku..."

Riku scowled as he slowly stood. "You don't scare me, Xemnas."

Xemnas' lip curled up unpleasantly. "You might like to rethink those words."

**XxxxxX**

Saïx's breathing was barely irregular as he kicked the only remains of Maleficent off of the top of her castle. The cloak fluttered downwards, past the bridge, and settled in a heap at the bottom of the canyon. His expression eased from berserk into his normal emotionless one. "Very good, Saïx. I appreciate your assistance." Dempsey's voice was in his ear, and Saïx realized that there was a body directly behind him. The falchion, slightly rusty and stained, was being held near the Berserker's throat. "Now, as you have helped me immensely, I will allow you to choose. Which way would you rather die? Falling and breaking your neck or getting your throat cut?" Dempsey's voice was too cheerful for the words that he was speaking.

"Why are you doing this?" Saïx's voice held no surprise. When Larxene had been sent to Traverse Town and some of the stronger members had been sent to different worlds, Saïx had had his suspicions. It was obvious that Dempsey had been placing many of the Organization members in situations that were sure to cause their demises. Saïx only wanted to know why.

"I can't allow you all the chance to get your hearts and turn against me. Oh, no. Nor can I waste my time using the three princesses to give you your precious hearts. I appreciate all you have done for me, however," remarked Dempsey. "When I am ruler of all the worlds, I will make sure that the textbooks say you died in a very valiant way."

Saïx shook his head. "I do not _care _for my valor to be preserved. I just want to feel. I want to feel angrier than I can pretend for what you are doing. I want to feel my heart hammering against my chest as you press your blade to my throat," he growled. "I want to feel."

"Well, my friend," replied Dempsey as he put his falchion to Saïx's throat. "We cannot all get what we want." He slid the blade horizontally and Saïx fell to the ground. He didn't pay attention to whether blood, darkness, or both poured out of Saïx's body. Instead, he raised his arms in the sky and turned to face Kingdom Hearts. "True power is almost mine. You and I will become better acquainted soon." He promised, ignoring the gasping sounds coming from Saïx, before summoning a portal and disappearing.

**XxxxxX**

"Your Majesty, let us use one of your Gummi ships to go to the Radiant Garden," requested Darcie as she, Rikku, Auron, and Axel stood before King Mickey in the Audience Chamber. He had, at first, looked relieved to see Darcie and Axel were alright. Upon her request, however, the King looked much more nervous.

"Fellas, don't you think you should wait until the others get back?" replied King Mickey weakly. He was sitting in his throne while facing them with a troubled expression.

Rikku shook her head. "What if we take too long? What about the Radiant Garden? Something bad can happen to everyone there!" she insisted. At Auron, Darcie, and Axel's stares, she amended with, "Worse. Something worse can happen."

King Mickey still did not appear like he wanted to help them. "What if somethin' were to happen to you fellas? Isn't it smarter to just go as a group."

"We will not fit in one ship, Your Majesty," pointed out Auron. "I believe the four of us can manage to at least hinder Dempsey from going through with any of the plans that he has."

"If Darcie goes, you're just walking into a trap!" Donald quacked from the left of King Mickey's chair. Goofy was standing on the other side.

"Gawrsh, Donald's right!" mumbled Goofy. "He'll capture Darcie again!"

Darcie pursed her lips and folded her arms. Before she had the chance to point out that she could, indeed, take care of herself, Auron said, "Hn. I have reason to believe that she is in more capable hands this time."

Axel choked a little. "Nice ego," he murmured to the girls. "Kairi and Katalin are very able," argued Rikku. "But, uh... maybe less so than Auron here. So, your Majesty! What do you say?"

Goofy and Donald stared at Mickey like he held their lives in his hands. Slowly, but surely, King Mickey reached into one of his pockets and brandished a keyring with a few keys. He threw it to Darcie who caught it with ease. "Just be careful, okay, fellas?" was the King's only request.

Darcie smiled and nodded. "You can count on us!"

**XxxxxX**

Katalin knew that she would find Dempsey in Hollow Bastion, yet the portal led her to the end of the Great Maw closest to the Dark Depths. The sky was pink but, for the first time, it looked like they were dark clouds hanging in the sky. Not clouds that signaled a light shower, but large purple ones that signaled a huge storm. She moved through the patches of yellow and white lilies as she headed in the direction of the castle. She knew that she should have drawn up a plan before coming, but... she hadn't. What could she do? Expect the unexpected seemed like a good idea. Parts of the Great Maw were completely destroyed, or had large craters, from the large battle that had taken place there. Katalin could make out large footprints that had belonged to a Behemoth.

As she walked through the deserted field, she noticed other things. Craters in the cliff walls from, she guessed, Xaldin's lances, perhaps. Something must have happened once everyone left, but she had not a clue as to what. Maybe she should have asked Shawn; he would have known. The appearance of an ungodly amount of Heartless startled her from her thoughts. More of them appeared than usual, she guessed, because Dempsey allowed them to have free reign.

Before she made it even close to the castle, she had a feeling that she would be in even less shape to fight. The Heartless included Shadows, Neoshadows, Defenders, and Darkballs. Katalin knew that if she wanted to have a shot at finding Dempsey while still standing upright that she had to ignore the Heartless. She surged forward, only stopping to knock Heartless out of her path, and ran up the slope leading to one of the fissure caves. All the while, she could hear Dempsey mocking her in her mind... and she began to entertain the thought that, perhaps, she was starting to go the slightest bit insane.

* * *

**A/n: I think this probably only has a few chapters left, so it should end in the early thirties. You've gotta love how I'm so sure about what's going to happen when I'm the author. Dx'' This story has already thrown a few surprises my way. That probably sounds weird. I'm going to stop now. xD' The title is obviously a shot at the fact that some people (i.e. Katalin and Riku) are braving enemy territory on their own while the others are being smart and sticking in groups. I hope you enjoyed this chapter -- next chapter is going to be extremely fun. Please review!**


	29. Bitter Oblivion

**Chapter Twenty-Nine:  
**Bitter Oblivion

**A/n: I was so between two songs for this chapter. The other one is "Suteki da ne" by Rikki, which I'll probably still be posting the lyrics to for this story. You can decide which song you want to listen to? Thank you all, once again, for your reviews! I appreciate them a ton. Enjoy the chapter and youtube the song, or something, please?**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Kingdom Hearts. **

_'August evenings bring solemn warnings_

_To remember to kiss the ones you love goodnight._

_You never know what temporal days may bring,_

_Laugh, love, live free and sing._

_When life is in discord, praise ye the Lord.'_

**-"Paperthin Hymn" by Anberlin**

**

* * *

**Xemnas, who had been dragging Riku along, dropped him in the middle of the floor, in front of the Radiant Garden's keyhole. Dempsey, dressed in something other than his coat, eyed the boy with slight confusion. "He was trying to enter. I stopped him," remarked Xemnas simply.

Dempsey inclined his head ever so slightly. "Indeed? Well, he is certainly one of the stronger keyblade wielders. Good for you. Now, have you seen any of the others? Darcie, perhaps?"

"What is it I look like to you, Dempsey?" replied Xemnas sourly. "I have seen no one else inside the castle. You are the sorcerer. Perhaps you would like to tell me if there is anyone in the vicinity? Any of my underlings, perhaps?"

"Oh, no," replied Dempsey softly. "They are all either very much faded or very much gone. Luxord and Dempsey have betrayed you. The others have met their ends from the hands of the keyblade wielders and their friends." Xemnas' eyes flashed; it was obvious he did not believe Dempsey. However, he said nothing. "You are quite right, however. There _is _someone in the vicinity. Perhaps you would like to help her."

Xemnas considered him skeptically for a moment. "Who is it and how can I help?" **(A/n: That sounds like the quote of a good guy. Lolfail.) **

Dempsey chuckled quietly. "Why, it's our dear friend Katalin."

"She's escaped death several times," observed Xemnas. "Should I finish her off?"

"Certainly not," replied Dempsey. "Simply take care of those Nobodies for her and let her be on her merry way." Xemnas' eyebrows furrowed together. Dempsey knew what he was thinking: Why didn't he allow Xemnas to push her into a portal instead of having her travel through the castle? "She is still very steamed about my capture of her boyfriend," he gestured to a body that was sprawled over one of the staircases. "If you were to summon a portal, then the darkness may taint her heart. I think that she has utilized enough of them."

Xemnas' expressions became as close as to, what was possible for him, confusion. "You want her to fight you and get the chance to kill you?" His tone did not sound disappointed.

"Kill me?" asked Dempsey slowly. A laugh so sudden and so loud that even Xemnas was slightly concerned boomed from his throat. "She won't be able to kill me. Now, go. Take care of what I have asked of you." As Xemnas summoned a portal and disappeared into it, the unmoving figure on the stairs stirred.

Shawn slowly pushed himself into a standing position and began to approach Dempsey. Eye of Truth flashed into his hand. "You... You promised you wouldn't hurt her."

"And this is the first time that you are surprised about this? I have tried to hurt her on many occasions," pointed out Dempsey, his sky blue eyes lighting up. "And, when she gets here, I will deliver the final blow that will _truly _hurt her." A look far beyond anger and hatred filled Shawn's eyes as he charged at Dempsey, taking care to avoid stepping on Riku. "What will she think of you, Shawn, when I tell her that you knew?" Shawn's only response was a slash with his keyblade.

**XxxxxX**

"Do you think this was a good idea?" came Rikku's nervous voice as the ship she, Darcie, Auron, and Axel had taken landed in Ansem's lab. Darcie couldn't say she blamed her; the lab gave off the very air of 'be here and die.'

Axel approached the computer, but that wasn't what his eyes were focusing on. They were focused on something in the distance further down. "It really was," he murmured. "Roxas!"

"Roxas?" repeated Darcie with surprise. Her eyes followed Axel's gaze and she repeated the blond's name in a shout before taking off in the direction of the staircase. The doors automatically slid open and she stepped inside, Rikku and Axel directly behind her.

Axel rushed ahead of the other two down the tall staircase and sprinted towards Roxas. "Roxas! What happened to you?" He demanded when he was a foot away from the keyblade wielder. Blood was caking Roxas' body, but it all looked dried. Now. There was too much for Axel to be at ease. He lightly shook his friend, trying to get over the wave of nostalgia that he was, indeed, able to shake Roxas. Roxas' only reply was a groan. When Darcie and Rikku joined them, Rikku dropped to her knees beside Roxas. "Rikku, can you heal Roxas like you did Darcie?"

Rikku nodded immediately and put her hands on Roxas' chest. She closed her eyes for a moment as she channeled her energy into healing him. The white light left her hands and entered through Roxas' chest. His eyes flew open almost immediately. "What... What happened?" He mumbled as he slowly sat up. "Axel, what are you doing here?"

"Roxas, you're glowing," noticed Darcie. Naminé had spoken of the boy so often that he had already felt like an acquaintance. Sure enough, Roxas' body seemed to be giving off a glow all its own.

Axel helped Roxas remain in a seated position as the latter murmured, "I think it was Katalin. I can't tell you why I think that or even if it's true, but... I think she did something.""Is she here?" asked Rikku and Darcie. Darcie tried to keep the earnestness and hope out of her voice, but Rikku did not.

Roxas shook his head. The action did not, surprisingly, make his head hurt. "I don't know. I don't _think _so." He gazed at Darcie with a surprised expression. "I thought you were still in the dungeon."

"I'm not," replied Darcie. "What happened to you?"

"Xemnas. Xemnas wasn't too happy about Dempsey throwing away Organization XIII members. He wasn't happy to see me, either. So he took his anger out on me, I guess," mumbled Roxas.

"The first sign of a serial killer," noted Darcie.

Rikku, who looked a little more downcast from Roxas' news, asked quietly, "Do you feel better? I did all I can, but I'm not all that great with white magic."

Roxas nodded his head vigorously as he stood. "Much. Thanks, Rikku." Rikku blinked in surprise before recalling that Roxas was Sora's Nobody and, thus, knew what Sora knew. "We have to stop Dempsey. And get Darcie out of here."

"Why? What's Dempsey planning?" asked Axel as he and Rikku also stood.

"I'm not too sure. I only heard bits and pieces of some of Dempsey and Xemnas' conversations, but... He wants to use the three princesses to get some sort of power. To create this new world for himself from where he can rule," answered Roxas. "That's probably not even the half of it."Darcie waved him off. "As long as the third princess stays away from here, I'll be fine and Dempsey won't be able to go through with his plan."

"But _who _is the princess?" groaned Rikku. "Roxas, do you know?"

Roxas said nothing for a moment. Then, as they headed for the stairs, "I think we all have an idea, don't we?"

**XxxxxX**

Even without stopping to fight the majority of the Heartless she came across, Katalin was exhausted by the time she reached the path leading up to the Postern and castle. Dusks, standing so there was no space between them, were gathered up the path, making it look very white form far away. As Katalin approached them, they sprung at her. She ducked in order to avoid a few and charged to destroy some others. More Dusks approached her, trapping her in the center.

What had she been _thinking_?

Bright red blades ripped through a few of the Dusks, thus breaking the ring. "I have been ordered to protect you for now, Princess. I suggest you get a move on." Princess? That meant that Dempsey knew who she was. She was walking into a trap on an even larger scale than she had expected. "If you attempt to save yourself now, then I have reason to believe your friend will not last." Xemnas destroyed a few more Dusks with his ethereal blades. "It is up to you."

Of course Katalin would still save Shawn. She had to hurry, though. Without another word, only a nod of understanding, Katalin surged up the path. Xemnas destroyed the Dusks in her way with an energy blast, of sorts, from his hand.

As she ran, she thought of the last time she'd been able to have something of a peaceful time with Shawn. It had been the night/early morning she and Kairi had returned from Spira when she had climbed into her bed, where Shawn had already been sleeping. Was that really the last pleasant memory she had of him? Katalin frowned somewhat and decided to add a new one to the list.

**XxxxxX**

"They _left_?" repeated Kairi. "Excuse me for any disrespect, Your Majesty, but you let them _leave_?" King Mickey kept his eyes to the ground as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat: the picture of a guilty mouse.

"Kairi," began Paine, "you summoned a portal for Riku to go to the Radiant Garden on himself."

Kairi's cheeks blushed scarlet. When the group had stopped in front of Memory's Skyscraper to return to their ships, they had noticed Riku was gone. Then, Kairi'd had to explain herself. The majority of the group had been angry, but Cloud and Leon had trusted that Riku would be fine on his own. "But Riku can take care of himself!"

"So can Rikku, Auron, Darcie," pointed out Tidus as he slung an arm around her shoulders. "Axel'll probably be fine, too."

"Yeah, but I haven't seen Darcie in so long," replied Kairi in a mumble. "I just... wanted to see with my own eyes that's alright." Tidus gave her a squeeze before allowing Sora to comfort her. He laced both of his hands with hers and gave them squeezes.

Sora stared at her seriously, a grin on his face. "We're going to join them soon, right? Don't worry. I know they're fine. I _know _it, Kairi. And I know you do, too." His eyes didn't leave her face until she returned the smile. He released his hands from hers, and she threw her arms around his neck.

"So, what's the plan?" asked Yuffie earnestly. "We barely got any action!"

Leon nodded. "We want to take back the Radiant Garden from Dempsey."

Tifa also nodded as she cracked her knuckles. "It's our home, and he can't be too tough."

"Are we all going, then?" inquired Yuna. Everyone, including Aerith, nodded. "Then, we'll take Brother's ship."

Lulu pinched the bridge of her nose. "If we must, then I suppose we must."

"Brother can't be _that _bad," argued Sora.

**XxX**

Brother turned out to be much different than Sora had expected. He was tall, his blond hair had been styled into a mohawk, and he had multiple tattoos on his chest, arms, and other parts of his body. Brother was very loud and always seemed to be going off about _something_. A multitude of eye-makeup caked his eyes which were, Sora noticed, just like Rikku's: green with spirals for pupils. "This is your cousin?" asked Sora of Yuna, who nodded. "Rikku's brother?" Another nod.

Sora had also noticed that Brother calmed down whenever Yuna was around. "Yuna! Have you seen Rikku?" Brother seemed especially fretful.

Yuna shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry, Brother. She's at the Radiant Garden, though, with Sir Auron and Darcie. I'm sure she's fine."

"Oh," came Brother's meek reply. "Well, I never said I would miss her if she were gone! Just as long as you are okay, Yuna!" Tidus, Wakka, and Lulu simultaneously slammed their palms into their foreheads.

Kairi, the only Princess of Heart among them, skipped to the front of the cockpit and stared out of the glass. "Oh, look! We're just about there!" She steeled herself not to add, 'Thank God.' The remaining Princesses of Heart had been left at Disney Castle. They had a somewhat good feeling that the princesses would not be disturbed there.

Paine, who had looked like she was moments from driving her blade through something, perked up somewhat at the news. "How close? It says on the screen."

Kairi skipped to a mass of computer screens where a boy dressed in a large bulky coat was sitting. His face was hidden, like most Al Bhed, by a mask of some sorts. "Well, Shinra?"

The child began to recite how far away they were in various, complicated, scientific terms, "How about in English?" suggested Tidus as he joined Kairi behind Shinra's chair. "You don't look like a very scientific person," remarked Shinra in a way that suggested he was unsurprised Tidus didn't understand him.

Tidus frowned and folded his arms over his chest. "And you don't look like you'd be a very good goalie."

**XxxxxX**

Katalin had run around the castle for a decent amount of time before realizing she didn't really know where Dempsey and Shawn were. When she doubled-over to catch her breath, she was momentarily assaulted by an image of the Great Hall where she guessed Dempsey was located. She closed her eyes and concentrated her light on, she hoped, summoning her final portal. She hurried into the portal once it appeared and hurried out of it.

She stepped into a hallway, the very entrance of a room, that had obviously been left over from its original design. Large torches, currently unlit, lined either side of the carpet that she had appeared on. Behind the torches, on the walls, were three glass cases on either side. They looked like they had, at one point, housed something, but they were currently empty.

A few more steps into the room, and Katalin noticed just how open and bright it was. The ceiling was tall, and their was a ledge on the higher part of the wall above her. Before her was a platform of sorts with two small staircases rising on either side. Some dried blood was covering the metal blue stairs. Whose blood, she didn't want to know. Katalin charged up the stairs as she heard the clashing of swords coming from the platform.

When she reached the top, she saw Dempsey and Shawn delivering blows to each other. "Katalin, how nice of you to join us!" greeted Dempsey in a booming voice. Her mouth dropped. She tried to close it, but she found that she couldn't. Some sort of emotion washed over her, making her skin prickle unpleasantly and her hair stand on end. "I thought that just you and I would chat, honey, but I'm afraid that your boyfriend decided to get up and disturb me."

"Shawn..." Katalin trailed off and shook her head. Shawn looked terrible, like he had been unconscious and thrown to a pack of wolves that hadn't eaten in several weeks. The parts of his shirt that hadn't been ripped were covered in blood. His jeans had also been ripped behind the knees and in the front. Blood seemed to cover every bit of his body. Despite the ugly truth staring Katalin in the face, she found herself completely focused on Shawn. "Get away from him, Shawn. Please!"

Shawn shook his head. "No, he's... He's done too much. Attacked us and our friends too much... And, God..." He shook his head again. His voice suggested that his throat was very raw and, judging by his appearance, that didn't surprise Katalin much. "Look at who he _is_. Katalin, I'm sorry. I didn't want you to find out like this. I didn't want you to find out at all."

Katalin felt a rush of gratitude for him. "That's what you wanted to tell me at the Nature Center..." She trailed off and shook her head. "But, of course that wasn't real."

Another shake of the head from Shawn. "I was talking to you, and you were kind of talking back in the field... You were, like, half-awake. Or something. But we held a semi-conversation. And Xaldin appeared behind you and struck you down." His sentence hung in the air, like there was something more he wanted to say. Katalin somehow knew the remainder of the sentence, but she didn't have to think of it much. Shawn remarked, in a voice barely above a whisper, "And I was so afraid."

A burst of, what looked like, black and orange fire erupted from Dempsey's hand and knocked Shawn off of his feet. He quickly strode over to him and hissed, "You are a disappointment. Turning away from the power _I _offered you for her."

"She's your daughter," growled Shawn. The image of Dempsey ripping apart the picture of a young blonde girl reappeared in his mind briefly. "How can you say that?"

Dempsey's eyes flashed dangerously. "Don't you question me, boy." He raised his falchion in the air with both hands on the hilt. Katalin's eyes widened. She couldn't summon enough breath or energy to cry out. Her feet automatically moved forward as she rushed at Dempsey. His eyes flashed once more as he turned towards her. A dark golden light erupted in front of Katalin and threw her down the stairs. "Any last words, Shawn?" murmured Dempsey, his voice soft.

Katalin quickly picked herself back up and pressed on, even when Dempsey attempted to crush her mind, until she was over Shawn. She stayed over him in a protective stance while Dempsey's shadow fell over them. She pressed her body to his and linked her arms behind his back. "Foolish. I suppose that I could just kill you both, then. Katalin, I can revive you easily..." She felt Shawn's warm blood soak into her shirt, but she didn't care. Anything to stop herself from thinking about what was about to happen.

"I can't let you, Katalin. I love you too much," came Shawn's weak mumble. He flipped his body, and she suddenly found herself beneath him. His eyes looked like they were glistening, but she thought it was the lighting. She knew it wasn't the lighting.

She shook her head. "Don't you dare," she warned, but Dempsey was standing over them again. He had his falchion raised with both hands on the hilt. "Shawn, I love you. Get off of me and maybe we can..." He shook his head. "Shawn, _please_." Her voice broke.

"Foolish. If only I could kill the both of you," murmured Dempsey.

"I love you," Katalin repeated, as if it would save them from the inevitable.

Shawn bent his head down and brushed his lips against her. "Guarantee you that I love you more," he remarked as he pulled his head away from hers. As Dempsey's falchion came crashing down, Katalin knew that Shawn's final words ran true. The blade pierced through Shawn's chest, expelling blood from his body. Slowly, Shawn's body fell onto hers. "I love you. Try... not to forget me, okay?" His words were whispered against her ear and, as blood dripped out of his mouth a little, they became painted red.

Katalin's lips trembled and her vision blurred as she put her arms around Shawn's back. "How can I forget you?" Her words came out as a cry.

Dempsey kicked Shawn's dead body off of Katalin and wrenched her up by the wrist. Once she was standing, he sat himself down on one of the large pipes connecting to the keyhole. "Kitty Kat, haven't you missed me?" His tone was different again. It was smooth and almost loving. Her father's arms were wide open and he was smiling.

Riku was on the floor, looking either dead or unconscious. Shawn was on the floor, so obviously dead that Katalin's heart wrenched. Darcie was... God only knew where she was, but Katalin found herself about ready to scream for her best friend. A memory -- Katalin was sure it wasn't a dream anymore -- flashed into Katalin's mind.

_"Daddy!" Little Katalin cried, the same wide arms and expectant smile her father was currently wearing on her face as she chased after him._

_He was heading for the front door but paused at the dining room table. Abruptly, he stopped and slammed his hands on the table; Katalin jumped as he glared daggers through the open wall and into the kitchen at her mother._

_"I can't _stand _this. You _ruined _this for me!"_

_"Because our beautiful little girl has a good heart?" demanded her mother coldly although she was obviously frightened._

_Dempsey knocked everything off of the table. "She is tainted! I thought, I hoped--! You keep her; have a good time. She will grow to be just as weak as you are!" he roared as he started for the door and wrenched it open. Katalin, still frightened, ran after him._

_"Daddy!" she cried again. He stopped in the middle of the walkway and turned towards her. A smile slowly appeared on her face and his. The difference was that his was almost sinister._

_"And you," he hissed. "You will never be a daughter to me. Your friend, Darcie, will be more my daughter than you ever will." A Shadow peeled itself off of the ground between them. He didn't stop it or react much to its appearance at all. In fact, he simply stood and continued for his car. "All that will be left of you is a _shell_." _

_The Shadow swiped at her chest, and Katalin cried out. Its claws raked three marks into her skin, which welled up with blood. Shouting, her mother whisked Katalin off the ground and hurried into the house. She slammed the door behind her._

The cuts had turned into a scar. The same one that had baffled Katalin at Snow White's house, but now she remembered. She completely recalled that very ugly day. And now she knew that Dempsey had known about her heart, and Darcie's, from the start. So why had he been pretending otherwise? "Yeah. Yeah, I missed you," replied Katalin quietly. "But, just to let you know, I miss you significantly less than I do Shawn." Katalin charged at him with Beautiful Disaster. "And you're going to bring him back!"

Dempsey threw her away from him with ease, sending her crashing into the countertop opposite the keyhole. For the first time, she was truly able to see him. His hair, a glossy black with some streaks of gray, was of medium length and each strand was spiky and somewhat lethal looking. He was also wearing a gray double-breasted jacket over a lavender undershirt matched with a pair of sleek gray pants. His shoes were shiny black and, unlike his jacket and pants, did not have blood on them. Shawn's blood, Katalin knew.

Those eyes... How could she have forgotten those eyes? Dempsey's blue eyes were the color of the unpolluted blue sky, a shade of which she had never seen in anyone else. Katalin wanted to yell or something, but she could only find herself asking, "Why did you do this? You're my father. I don't... I don't understand."

"Of course not, honey," replied Dempsey as he approached her. He dropped his hands on her shoulders and squeezed them painfully. "That's alright. I'm here now."

Katalin suppressed the urge to vomit on him. "I don't _want _you. Everyone I want... Everyone I need... is gone!" She noticed a flicker of movement in the corner of her eye. Dempsey's feet were swept out from beneath him, and he fell backwards.

"Everyone's gone? Really?" replied Riku, looking mostly alright except for a few cuts on his face, as he shouldered Way to Dawn. "Then, what am I?"

She could have thrown herself against him, but she didn't. Instead, she smiled weakly at him. "You're a miracle," she replied quietly. "And I so want to get out of here. But... but not without Shawn." Riku nodded his head in understanding as he stepped protectively in front of Katalin, separating her from Dempsey. "Your father," he spat disgustedly. "You're nothing like him."

The doors to the room flew open as Axel, Rikku, Auron, Darcie and Roxas entered with their weapons already at the ready. There were stitches in their sides, but, aside from that, they had minimal injuries. The only enemies they had passed had been Heartless and Nobodies, albeit strong ones. "I'm fucking tired of these things," growled Darcie as she blocked a Defender's charging attack with Noir's Blossoms.

Katalin blinked. "Darcie?!"

Darcie pivoted in order to avoid a blow from an Invisible. "Katalin?" She ignored the remaining Heartless, ducked under another Invisible, and ran up the right staircase. Her brown eyes widened a great deal. "Dempsey. But, he... He looks like..."

Dempsey backed away from Riku a little and clapped his hands together like a delighted child on Christmas. "Ah. All three of you are here, then. How wonderful!"

"Rikku," called Darcie as she turned away from the keyhole and her eyes locked on the glass case on the higher ledge, "jump up to the ledge over here and help me."

Rikku jumped up, stepping on a Defender's shield and propelling herself further into the air as Darcie climbed on the ledge of the platform and jumped towards Naminé's case. They climbed up at the same time and began to smash their blades into the glass. Dempsey chuckled and shook his head a little. "Free her, go right ahead. Nothing can save you now." He moved, faster than Riku had anticipated, and knocked the keyblade wielder over the side of the platform. Once he was on the ground, Dempsey raised a barrier, blocking the others from Rikku, Darcie, and Katalin.

The glass, although breaking, wasn't getting demolished as fast as Darcie had hoped. She narrowed her eyes and held her hands in front of her body. "Darkness!" The power squeezed out of her heart and escaped through her fingertips in the form of a blue and black fireballs. Darcie instantly felt a little fatigued, but she waved it off. The glass cracked further, and Naminé's eyes flew open without warning. Darcie pulled Rikku aside as tendrils of dark and light energy escaped from, she guessed, Naminé's fingertips. The glass exploded at last, and Naminé tumbled out of her prison, a little gracelessly.

Katalin dodged a blow from her father's falchion by throwing herself to the ground. Then, she stabbed Beautiful Disaster into his shin. Dempsey tumbled back and raised his arms before murmuring something in Latin. "Ostendo mihi vestri vires!"

Naminé and Darcie jumped down to join Katalin. "Let's use our power against him," suggested Darcie. "Darkness, Nothingness, and Light." The other two nodded their agreement as they concentrated the strength of their hearts into one final combination attack that would destroy Dempsey once and for all. Each of them cried out their respective power as light, darkness, and nothingness escaped their bodies...

The three attacks combined, but that was not all. Something happened. Before the attack could hit Dempsey, he murmured a counterattack in Latin and a golden-red light absorbed their power. A blinding light blinded everyone in the room, and then... Rikku rubbed her eyes and stared down at the platform where the three princesses and Dempsey had been. Now there was nothing more than Shawn's body on the ground.

**XxxxxX**

Brother beamed them down in the middle of the deserted Marketplace, much to their disappoint. As soon as they touched down, ample amounts of Heartless and Nobodies appeared, some of them jumping down from the rooftops of the shops and strip mall. The Heartless were all Shadows and Neoshadows while the Nobodies were nothing stronger than Creepers and Dusks. It made Sora wonder if they were the remainders of the shoppers that had been outside when the Heartless had attacked...

"Hey, look!" Yuna's voice drew everyone away from the fight and forced them to turn in the direction of the castle. A brilliant flash was lighting up the whole thing, but it disappeared within about a minute. "Rikku and the others... They must be there."

Leon nodded. "Go on ahead. We'll catch up," he said to all but himself, Tifa, Yuffie, and Cloud.

Sora opened his mouth to argue, but Cloud said, "We have to stop this place from becoming more overrun with Heartless and Nobodies. Go help them."

Tifa winked. "We can take care of these guys no sweat. So, get a move on!"

Grudgingly, with the help of Kairi pulling him along, Sora led the others out of the Marketplace and in the direction of Hollow Bastion.

**XxX**

On the path leading to the Postern, they found even more Nobodies and Heartless. There was still no Heartless stronger than a Neoshadow, but the Nobodies were as strong as Berserkers. "Go on," ordered Lulu as she hung back to cast an ultima spell that opened a path within the enemies.

"Wh-what?" repeated Tidus. "No way! You're coming with."

Wakka hurled his blitzball at a Shadow that had been about ready to sink its claws into Tidus' back. "We'll hold 'em back, ya? You five go on ahead!"

"Wakka, Lulu, two people hanging back isn't going to make much of a difference," insisted Kairi.

Paine nodded and sliced her sword through a few Dusks. "Then I'll stay back, too." Yuna opened her mouth to disagree, and Paine flicked her on the nose. "You're getting to be as bad as Rikku. Just go and make sure your cousin hasn't done something stupid to hurt yourself. Make sure the others are okay, too. Come on, Yuna," an ironic smile appeared on her lips, "you know that if you hang back here, then you won't be able to fight. All you'll be able to do is think about if the others are okay. So, go. And that's an order."

Yuna closed her mouth, smiled, and nodded. "Okay. Be careful, please." Then, she was running off with Tidus, Sora, and Kairi, cutting through the thick ring of Heartless and Nobodies. When Sora tried to take the stairs to the main portion of the castle, he was hurled backwards by a barrier.

"Well, that's not going to work," murmured Kairi. "Maybe Ansem the Wise had some sort of teleporter to get him from his lab to the throne room quickly?" she suggested.

Sora rubbed the back of his neck as he stood back up. "It's worth a shot. Let's go."

**XxX**

The corridors beneath the castle had been left unguarded. Very few Heartless or Nobodies bothered them... until they were a few feet from the study's door. The study itself was emptied of any enemies, as was the lab, but, looking down at the Heartless Manufactory, they saw someone standing in the center.

Kairi and Sora identified him immediately from his flowing silver hair. "Xemnas!" shouted Sora.

As if he could hear Sora from below (which maybe he could), Xemnas turned around slowly to face them with a large sinister smile. The glass of the window shattered as tendrils of dark and light energy escaped from his hands. Yuna, Kairi, and Sora dodged, but Tidus was not so lucky.

One of the tendrils pierced him through his shoulder while another one wrapped around his shin and pulled him through the window. "Tidus!" Yuna jumped up quickly, climbed on the computer console, and jumped.

* * *

**A/n: I didn't think I'd be able to get this up. Hooray! There might be... two more chapters to this, not including the epilogue. Hope you all enjoyed. Please review? **


	30. Drifting Away

**Chapter Thirty:**  
Drifting Away

**A/n: I don't think this chapter will be separated into two, so I think this is going to be very long. You have been warned. I apologize for taking so long in updating. School and my social life have had a vice grip on me, but I've actually been working on this chapter since posting the previous chapter! It's just... taken a while. xD' Once again, I implore you to look up the song and listen to it for the chapter. **

**Disclaimer - I do not own Kingdom Hearts.**

_'I feel there's something here, but I don't know._

_My heart beats quicker, now..._

_Because of you._

_You're the girl with the red dress on;_

_You're the girl I've dreamed about..._

_Drifting away.'_

**-"Red Dress" by Lovehatehero**

**

* * *

**Yuna was shooting at the tendril that had a hold on Tidus, but her bullets were just glancing off. Once again, she found herself wishing she could summon her Aeons, but... she knew it wasn't possible. So, instead, she ran forward and began to tug on it. Kairi and Sora jumped down after Yuna, and the princess immediately used her light. The light broke through the light and dark energy, freeing Tidus at last. Yuna stooped beside him as he hit the ground and put a hand on his bleeding shoulder. A light flowed out of her hand and closed the skin over the wound. "Thanks, Yuna," he murmured with appreciation. "Geez, though! That was so risky. You could have hurt yourself!"

"You're worth it," assured Yuna with a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Fools," remarked Xemnas loudly as another strand of light and darkness shot from his hand. The strands separated themselves as they neared Yuna, knocking her backwards, and holding her immobile to the wall.

When Kairi and Sora moved to try to help her, Yuna shook her head. "Just take care of Xemnas!" she called to them as she attempted to fish out her pistols.

"Xemnas, what reason could you possibly want to help Dempsey?" demanded Sora as he ran forward to clash Ultima Weapon against Forbidden.

Xemnas chuckled quietly as a blast of dark energy knocked Sora clear off his feet and several feet away. "You assume that I am fighting you for Dempsey? No. I am fighting you in order to get revenge for last time." He held his arms out to his sides, closed his eyes, and an orb of dark energy, much larger than before, appeared in the center of the room.

Yuna became freed at last as the energy hit, striking every one of them down.

**XxxxxX**

"You were glowing, Roxas. Now you're not. What _is_ that?" wondered Axel, who was trying to keep calm. Once the barrier had dropped (immediately following Dempsey and the girls' disappearances), everyone had gathered near the keyhole.

Roxas, who had himself perched on the top of the wall of the platform, near the counter, stared down at his hands. They had lost their eerie glow and were now a normal peach color. "I couldn't explain it to you if I tried," he admitted. **(A/n: But I can!) **

Riku, who was sitting one on of the large pipes, glanced down at the floor, where Shawn's body was. Or, at least, where it had been. "I think we have more important things to worry about."

Rikku chewed the inside of her cheek. "You don't think he's a zombie or something, do you?" She moved across the countertop and pressed herself against Auron somewhat, who was standing near the other staircase.

"There are no such things as--" Auron stopped himself. "Alright, there are only zombies in Spira. Otherwise, there are no such things as zombies."

Roxas shook his head. "I just don't get it. Where could they have possibly gone?"

**XxxxxX**

The new area in which they appeared was completely foreign to the three girls. The sky had large, golden clouds hanging in the otherwise light pink, lilac, and light blue colorings. They appeared to be standing on -- not in, strangely enough -- water of the purest medium shade of cerulean. "Where are we?" Darcie was the first to speak as she straightened up. She lost her balance but caught herself before she hit the water, despite the fact that she wouldn't have gotten wet anyway.

"I'm not sure," murmured Naminé as she looked around.

Katalin raised her eyebrows as she examined herself, Darcie, and Naminé. "Just like my dream," she mumbled.

"What?" asked Darcie as she turned towards her best friend. Then, she looked down to examine her clothes. Her clothes were no longer hers. Now she was wearing a dress with a black shirt that had blue lines running down it at angle and a flowing blue skirt that passed her knees. A blue cape with a black interior was attached to the shirt. Her black converse looked perfect with the dress. She slowly brought her hands to the top of her head and found a mostly blue crown, with some black lines, sitting atop it. "Wow. What?"

Katalin was wearing a dress that was familiar to her eyes but unfamiliar to her wardrobe. She was wearing a sleeveless white dress with a top that had pink lines swirling over it. The skirt just about reached her ankles and was a light pink color. She wore a silver circlet as well as white arm warmers that stopped at her elbows. Still on her feet were her white shoes with Yin and Yang symbolized as goldfish.

Naminé's dress was, perhaps, the most elegant out of the three. Her long dress was, for the most part, purple. Gray film made up the puffy sleeves and as well as the skirt. Beneath the gray film of the long skirt was purple silk. Each arm had two purple ribbons with a gray ribbon separating them. Her shoes were different than her regular sandals as they were purple ballet shoes that laced up her shins. A gray ribbon tied into a bow behind her neck while a tiara made of five hearts (one large one in the center) sat atop her head.

"These must be our final form outfits," realized Naminé as she glanced at the other two. "Which means that we must be--"

"Do you see, now, why I would like your assistance? Why I need your power?" A deep voice asked of the trio. Their heads snapped towards the owner's direction. The voice sounded different, somehow, but, then again, everything seemed different in this place. Dempsey seemed to have withdrawn back to his long black coat.

Realization slowly dawned upon Katalin. "Are you trying to tell us that our power, with whatever magic you used... sent us here?"

Dempsey nodded. "Very good. So, what do you say? This is the world that I intend to rule from... I suppose the three of you can each rule a different world as princesses."

Noir's Blossoms flashed into Darcie's hand. "Do you really think we want to rule with you? You need _us_, not the other way around."

Katalin and Naminé summoned Beautiful Disaster and Obsolete Nonexistence before stepping on either side of Darcie. If they killed Dempsey, then there would be no way to revive Shawn. If they kept Dempsey alive, then there was no way to make him help and they could put other people in danger. Katalin wasn't sure if she could kill him knowing that.

Nor was she sure that she could even kill Dempsey, knowing who he was. And she hated to admit it. "Katalin, we need you," remarked Naminé quietly. "But if you can't do it, then Darcie and I can try our best on our own."

"Even if you hate the guy, he's still your father. We understand that," agreed Darcie.

Katalin shook her head. "I... I can try. He's done so much; he doesn't deserve to live. But any chance of reviving Shawn dies with him."

Darcie nodded her head slowly. She had an idea, now, of what Shawn had done to protect Katalin, and she liked him for that. A great deal. "I know."

"But would Shawn want Dempsey to run around and get the chance to kill more people?" Naminé's voice was quite and sincere. "I know, Katalin. I know that you love him and that he loves you. But do you think he would want you to avoid killing Dempsey for him?"

Slowly, Katalin drew a breath that felt like it might suffocate her. When Dempsey had impaled Shawn, there had been a flicker of hope that she could get him back. Now there was nothing because she knew Naminé was right. "No," she agreed in a voice barely above a whisper. Dempsey was still watching them, his blue eyes a little more gray than any of them recalled. Then again, the lighting in this place was completely different from any other area they had encountered him in. Darcie raised Noir's Blossoms. "Then, we kill Dempsey and avenge Shawn that way."

Obsolete Nonexistence crossed Darcie's keyblade as Naminé nodded her agreement. Katalin raised Beautiful Disaster, which once again felt like it weighed a ton, and crossed it in a different fashion. "Let's," she and Naminé agreed.

**XxxxxX**

"Do you truly think you can defeat me?" asked Xemnas as he slowly walked in Sora's direction. "Even with more people than before, Sora, you are hopeless without Riku." Said brunet was lying on the floor, attempting to push himself up with his arms. It was a futile attempt.

Kairi quickly forced herself to stand and rushed in front of him. She threw her arms out as Xemnas approached them. "You leave Sora alone!"

A cruel smile appeared on Xemnas' lips. "Indeed? Well, then... Tell me, Princess, can you spare a heart?"

Sora's eyes widened as he forced his head up somewhat. "Kairi, move! Run!"

"And let him attack you? No way!" replied Kairi with disgust, her indigo eyes narrowing at the Nobody. "Do your worst."

Xemnas threw back his head and chuckled. "That you would allow a loved one to take this attack instead of you speaks volumes about you, Keyblade Master. Well, then, say farewell, Princess." Tidus ran towards them, but Xemnas easily knocked him into a wall with one of his ethereal blades. A blue light burst forth from his outstretched hands and entered Kairi's chest as her eyes widened with fear. Her mouth opened like she might scream or cry out with pain, but she was unable to do much of anything. The energy lifted her into the air.

Only Yuna was left standing, and she knew she had to do _something_. She slowly stood on shaking legs before glancing down at her pistols; that wouldn't do the trick. Not at all. Then, what could she do? She could still summon her staff, but there wasn't much good that it would do her. _'If you need some help, I can still give it. Although the dream has ended, I can't help but feel that I owe you some of our power for helping us,' _A voice, extremely familiar to Yuna's ears, spoke in her mind. _'Aside from that, you also seem to be friends of Cloud, Squall, and the others... I would be more than pleased to help friends of them and, of course, you.' _

Yuna's staff appeared in a flash in her hands. The weight felt almost foreign to her but, at the same time, very welcoming. She grasped it tightly in her hands before spinning it around. A green summoning circle appeared around her feet before the light engulfed her body. Three chunks of ice fell behind Yuna as a transparent woman floated gracefully toward them. She landed in the icy prison and glanced toward the sky with a hopeful, yet intense, look in her bright blue eyes. The ice exploded, some shards breaking off and cutting into Xemnas' skin, freeing Shiva.

Xemnas turned toward them, his focus momentarily broken, and broke the spell that had been stealing away Kairi's life force. Kairi hurled towards the ground, but Sora quickly forced himself up, despite the pain, and caught her in his arms. "Kairi, are you okay? That was so brave of you, and--"

"So stupid?" murmured Kairi tiredly as she recalled when Sora had first used the words on her when she had jumped into the river to save Katalin.

A smile appeared, briefly, on Sora's lips. "Reckless, I was going to say."

"That's what I get for hanging around you and Riku," she remarked quietly as he set her down on the ground. Kairi's legs wobbled unsteadily before giving out beneath her. Again, Sora caught her. He picked her up bridal-style and carried her to the stairs, where he set her down.

"Don't move, okay?" And then he was off to watch Xemnas' showdown against Yuna's Aeon.

**XxxxxX**

"You cannot defeat me!" shouted Dempsey as he brandished his Falchion, which was already freed of Shawn's blood. His coat was darker in some spots where the cuts the girls had inflicted had bleed. Yet, even with the blood covering his coat and, likely, his body, Dempsey moved flawlessly. He used various spells that burned and ripped their outfits somewhat and delivered blows when he had caught them by surprise.

Darcie shook her head, gasping like the others, as she doubled-over somewhat. "This is no good. We need a new plan."

"Do I have a plan for you," replied Naminé as she put both hands on her keyblade's hilt and raised it into the air. A gray light began to gather around her body. "If these are our final form outfits, then we each have final forms."

Katalin nodded. "So, you're saying that we should each concentrate on our power?"

"Exactly," agreed Naminé as she shut her eyes and allowed the light to cover her body. Darcie and Katalin stood in front of her, protectively, as Dempsey swooped toward her. Katalin horizontally sliced Dempsey's stomach and Darcie stabbed him in the shoulder, forcing him to fall back a foot or so.

The gray light reached an intensity that made it difficult to look at Naminé. When it cleared, however, Naminé was hovering a few inches over the water. Two large wings were protruding from her back, both with the topmost bone long and curved. Unlike the angel wings that children and murals normally depicted, the wings were not large and fluffy but with the feathers long and thin, especially at the edges, making them look relatively sharp. The feathers of the primaries were much longer than those in the secondaries, and those being longer than the tertials. They appeared to have burst through the back of her dress perfectly, but maybe a little painfully. Obsolete Nonexistence was, if possible, longer than before with the teeth much sharper.

Darcie stepped back a few feet. "I'll give it a try," she decided as she raised Noir's Blossoms. Blackness engulfed her body, leaving Katalin and Naminé to guard her from Dempsey, as her body began to change. Wings burst from her back, much more painfully than she expected, and folded around her body briefly. The wings were huge, as shown by the fact that they obscured most of her body from view, and the top bone of the wings pointed at the ends. The primary feathers were, like Naminé's, much larger than the secondaries but, unlike Naminé's, there was not a huge difference between the feather size in the secondaries in tertials. The feathers were large, soft, and blacker than the night sky. With a burst of darkness, the wings unfolded from Darcie's body and sent Dempsey sprawling to the ground. Noir's Blossoms had, like Naminé's keyblade, extended a bit with sharper teeth.

Finally, Katalin stepped behind Darcie and Naminé as a bright white light covered her body. Like Darcie, she felt a little pain as the wings burst through her back. Her wings were a soft white, reminiscent of freshly fallen snow, and were taller than they were wide. When the tops of the wings neared each other, they formed somewhat of a heart shape. Beautiful Disaster, like the other two, became sharper and elongated. Once the final transformation was complete, Katalin stepped to stand between Darcie and Naminé. They pointed their weapons at Dempsey. "Let's end this!"

Katalin, Darcie, and Naminé waved their keyblades in unison. As they did so, light, darkness, and nothingness energy waves ripped from the weapons of their respective princess, separating the water like the Red Sea, and ripped at Dempsey's body. The coat was very much ripped to shreds, but the hood still remained to obscure Dempsey's pained expression. He screamed in pain, a sound that made their blood chill at the sound. But they couldn't give up, they were so close now.

Darcie quickly figured out how her wings worked before using them to lift her into the air. She flew towards Dempsey as he stood back up and sliced at him with her keyblade. Katalin followed Darcie's lead and sliced directly after Darcie landed her blow. Naminé, both hands still on the hilt of Obsolete Nonexistence, slashed the weapon down vertically with the energy of nothingness -- tendrils of darkness and light -- sparking from the tip. Dempsey fell back once again, but, this time, he fell on his back and did not get back up.

That was when they knew something was wrong.

The hood fell back, but Dempsey wasn't the one that was looking up at them although it was a face familiar to Katalin and Darcie. The man's brown hair, long enough to be spiked in different directions, and twinkling blue-gray eyes were characteristics that belonged to Katalin's uncle. The three of them faltered, their wings folding against their backs, and they fell onto the water. "Dempsey... You're not Dempsey!" shouted Katalin with disbelief.

Darcie could tell now, just by looking at the man, that he was a Heartless. She had felt the darkness pulsing off of him before they engaged him in battle, but she had just waved it off. After all, Dempsey was a very, very dark man. "You're a Heartless. The Heartless of Katalin's uncle?" She asked; the man, with blood trailing from his lips, nodded. "But that makes no sense."

Katalin nodded her head vehemently in agreement. "My uncle didn't have enough darkness in his heart to turn into a humanoid Heartless!"

The Heartless chuckled. "Really? Well, then, I suppose you didn't know as much about him as you thought you did."

She shook her head and bent down to pull him up by his collar. "You're a liar. Yes, you look a _lot _like him, but it could be a mistake." Katalin glanced at Darcie and Naminé for assistance. "It could be a mistake, right?" Her tone was desperate.

"No," answered Naminé honestly. "Not that I look a whole lot like Kairi. But, with this particular Heartless, there's no denying it. He directly resembles him, I can tell by the looks on your faces."

Katalin's hands curled into fists. "So my crazy, power-thirsty father is out there somewhere? This is... no good." Although, at the same time, it was very good. If Dempsey was still alive, then Shawn could still be brought back. "Could we... Together we can give hearts, right? Our combined power can do that?" A nod from Naminé and Darcie. "Then, maybe we can bring my uncle back."

Darcie put a hand on Katalin's shoulder. "We can't. You need, I think, a Nobody for that, too, right?" she looked to Naminé for assistance; Naminé nodded her agreement. "And even if we were to try, the new person could be different from the old. He still wouldn't be your uncle, Kat." Her voice was firm yet, at the same time, sad. And that alone told Katalin all she needed to know.

"Then, let's get rid of him. One less Heartless to plot against us," she murmured. "But why were you helping Dempsey?"

The Heartless smiled a sinister smile that she knew her uncle never could have managed. "Wouldn't you like to know?" They summoned the last bit of energy they had to destroy the Heartless once and for all.

As the nothingness escaped Naminé's outstretched hand, something particularly odd happened. The nothingness began to move negatively, up her arms, and all throughout her body while the tendrils of light and darkness never reached the Heartless. The nothingness squeezed itself around Naminé's body while Katalin and Darcie used their light and darkness to rid the Heartless from the strange world they were in.

With one final scream of pain from the Heartless, a heart escaped from his chest and floated toward the sky. When Darcie and Katalin, tired out of their minds, looked back at Naminé, they found that her body was transparent. In fact, slowly but surely, it was fading away. "Naminé?!"

Naminé looked back at them with her eyes full of confusion and, deep in there, pain. "I... I don't know what's happening!"

"You're fading," gasped Katalin as she and Darcie slowly approached the Nobody.

Darcie shook her head as if refusing to believe it would make it less true. "Why? What's going on?"

"I-I'm not sure," admitted Naminé quietly, fearfully. "Please, do something for me." Her eyes were lighting up with hope and resignation. "Tell Roxas... Tell him that I... I love--"

Katalin pursed her lips together and also shook her head. "You can tell him yourself. Naminé..." She reached forward to grab the girl's wrist, but her hand past right through her.

"We'll... We'll tell Roxas how you feel," promised Darcie as she pulled Katalin away somewhat. Naminé managed a painful smile to show her appreciation before her body disappeared completely. Another light began to shine from behind them, erasing the beautiful oasis around them, and making them unsure if they would still be together when they wound up wherever the light was taking them.

**XxxxxX**

An icy wind blew throughout the room, forming icicles on the walls and encasing Xemnas in a thick prison of ice. Shiva stared at him with a satisfied smile before sliding together her index and thumb in a snap. The ice exploded, sending thick chunks of ice flying everywhere, freeing Xemnas at the same time as it damaged him. He shook his head slowly as he stared at the group of teenagers as his body faded away. "I wanted to do this," he repeated, "but it was a setup. A successful one, if I do say so myself."

Sora took a few steps forward with his electric blue eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Xemnas chuckled quietly. "Wouldn't you like to know?" Once his body had disappeared, the group shuddered, and it had nothing to do with Shiva.

"What was he talking about?" wondered Yuna as she dismissed her Aeon, whose body faded into a rainbow-colored hue.

Although Sora looked troubled, he allowed Kingdom Key to disappear. "I don't know," he admitted. "But I have a bad feeling that it has something to do with the others."

Kairi was already running in the direction of the stairs, her injuries be damned. "We should regroup and see if we can't find a way higher into the castle. There must be _some _staircase leading up to the main portion of the castle. We just have to look."

Tidus cracked a grin. "I see that someone's optimistic nature hasn't changed."

She winked. "Well, what can I say? When you travel with Rikku and Sora, the lords of doom and despair, you have to be relentlessly optimistic."

"I'm not a lord of doom and despair," argued Sora as he joined her at the bottom of the stairs. Kairi's lips brushed his cheek, making both of their faces turn beet red.

"Of course you're not. Now, let's get going!"

**XxxxxX**

When the light faded away and Katalin was able to get a good look at her surroundings, she was immediately on her guard again. She knew that she was home, in Diamant de Plaines. Or, at the very least, she was in a place that resembled it. But she knew not why the light would have had her appear on the island with the keyhole to the world.

Nor did she understand why Shawn, who she had watched die with her own eyes, was standing over the pool of the water that led to the keyhole. "Shawn," she began slowly, guardedly as she took a few steps toward him. The grass, which looked yellow and dead, crunched beneath her feet. He did not turn in her direction as she approached him. "Shawn, you're dead, what are you doing here?"

A smirk that she could not see appeared on his lips. "Doing what I was going to do before." He flung his right arm out and Eye of Truth appeared in his hand in a flash.

He was caught off guard as she charged at him and locked her arms around his stomach. "No, you aren't. You wouldn't. You love this place, and you love me, so you would never put either one of us in danger by unlocking this world."

"How would you know?" wondered Shawn in a voice distinctly unlike his own.

_'Don't believe him, Kat. That's not me. That's not me and you know it,' _Shawn's voice rang in her head, like Dempsey's once had. Katalin immediately suspected it was Dempsey once more, trying to fool her this time by using Shawn's voice. _'You just can't let go, and I guess I can understand it. I know it's hard, but you can't fall for a fake just because you're so afraid. Open your eyes, Katalin. The one you really need to worry about is under the island.'_

She was hallucinating and hearing Shawn's voice. That was always a good sign. However... she was still puzzled to the extreme. "Under the island?" repeated Katalin.

_'Under the island,' _agreed the hallucination. _'I know you don't want to, but you have to plunge in there and find her.' _

"Her? Her who? Naminé?" asked Katalin hopefully. The Shawn before her chuckled, no doubt quite as sure as she that she was going insane.

_'No. Naminé is... Well, it doesn't matter right now. It's not a her you know, but it's a her you should know. Be careful.' _The voice left her, even when she cried for it to come back. Katalin released the Shawn before her and considered the words that had pounded in her head. If she believed what he was saying, then it could very well be a trap set up by Dempsey, but... if she didn't, then what else could she do? Merrily run away home?

Katalin knew it wasn't a possibility. She felt suddenly colder as the Shawn impostor sidestepped and she lost his body heat. Or maybe it was that the sky was suddenly much gloomier and the wind was blowing. "You're going to listen to him? Then, let me help you!" The impostor grabbed her arm and pushed her into the water. Her heart immediately began to pound vigorously as she caught sight of the darkness beneath her.

_'Don't be afraid of the darkness, Katalin,' _Naminé's soft voice echoed in her mind, confirming that Katalin was, indeed, going crazy. Instead of acknowledging this thought aloud, she sucked in all of the air she could before diving into the water, all the while ignoring the screaming in her mind that told her she was swimming to her death.

**XxX**

The grotto had many twists and turns and, after taking one final turn, Katalin became quite aware that if she didn't find some air for her to breathe in soon, she would likely lose consciousness. Luckily, the new water corridor headed upwards where light was visible. She swam up too eagerly and, once she pulled herself out of the water, inhaled as much air as was possible. Someone laughed at her, a woman. Her eyes trailed over to the form of a woman in her mid-twenties. Her hair was light brown with a bright red sheen. The eyes of the woman were a bright, unclouded sky blue. "It's so nice to finally see you, Katalin! I've been waiting her for a while," the woman informed her.

"You were hiding underwater, hoping that I would somehow figure out that you're here?" asked Katalin with incredulity.

The woman giggled again. "Well, it sounds silly when you say it like that."

"You sound pretty stupid when you talk," noted Katalin.

The woman's eyes flashed for a moment, but she quickly calmed back down. "Ah, no harm, no foul. I understand your being upset, what with seeing your dead boyfriend above ground and whatnot."

Beautiful Disaster flashed into Katalin's hand. "What else do you understand?" she asked sweetly.

"That I'm the one responsible for the illusion," replied the woman with a sinister grin. "My name is Elynore, but you may call me Nore."

Katalin narrowed her eyes. "I can't imagine you have any sort of compassion in you." **(A/n: Hint at the meaning of 'Nore'.) **

"Really?" asked Nore with yet another giggle. "I showed you your lost lover, didn't I? You'll never see him again; I was doing you quite the favor, I believe."

Katalin charged her with her keyblade. Once she within a couple feet of Nore, her vision changed. The empty room became distorted-looking, like Katalin was gazing at it through a broken mirror. She quickly stopped moving and looked around. "Ah, I meant to say that you can call me Nore, Mistress of Illusion."

**XxxxxX**

"I expected, sooner or later, that darkness would be drawn to darkness," drawled a voice that Darcie could not quite place in the darkness. Her eyes flew open, but she didn't find her surroundings much lighter than the insides of her eyelids. However, she found the source of the voice quite easily; Dempsey's lavender shirt managed to stand out against the darkness. Slowly, Darcie forced herself into a standing position, the skirts of her dress billowing around her somewhat. "All I had to do was wait."

"That Nobody was Katalin's uncle, not you," noted Darcie. "What are you doing here, hiding in the darkness? Not that I ever thought you were braver than this, or anything."

Instead of answering, Dempsey strode toward her. "I always preferred you and Shawn to my own daughter," he confided. "Both of you were, I noticed, good baseball players." Darcie nodded. Dempsey had been the coach of Shawn's team and, for fun, her team had played theirs.

"Do you want me to have any specific reaction to the fact that you detest your daughter for no reason, or should I just call you a bastard and call it a day?" wondered Darcie as Noir's Blossoms flashed into her hand. She tightened her grip and narrowed her eyes, dangerously, at him.

Dempsey chuckled. "And your humor, my dear, it is so very like my own...""You're wrong, actually. Your humor is sick and cruel, like you, and mine is cute and somewhat harmless, like me. Don't try to draw comparisons that aren't there," warned Darcie. "Because it won't end well for you."

"Do you really think, Princess of Darkness, that you can defeat me, especially on your own? You are more foolish than you look."

"And you're bipolar," she growled as she approached him. "Tell me why I'm here."

A smile quirked at the corners of Dempsey's lips. "Because the three of you, after using your power, are automatically drawn back to the realm from whence your hearts originated. What that means, Darcie, is that we're going to be together for quite some time."

As he came even closer to her, Darcie slashed. A bit of darkness covered the tip and sliced into Dempsey's chest. "I don't think so."

"Wake up, Darcie," a voice, calm, ordered her. She wasn't sure whether or not she should have been able to recognize it. If she was supposed to be able to recognize it, she could not. "Come on. Come back."

**XxxxxX**

"We left," murmured Rikku, her tone disappointed, as she stepped outside of the castle. Riku was almost directly behind her while Auron, dragging Roxas along, picked up the rear. "What if they come back and wonder why we left them? I would feel terrible..."

Riku awkwardly patted her shoulder. "They won't; I know them. When they get back, if they even return to the same spot, they'll seek us out. I'm sure they'll forgive us for not waiting." His sentence hung in the air as if he wanted to say more. He didn't.

"You're not worried in the same way I am," noted Rikku, quietly. Very rarely did she speak in a whisper; Riku was aware that this was quite the occasion.

He also lowered his voice although a bewildered expression appeared on his face. "Yes, I am. Naminé, Darcie, and Katalin are great friends of mine."

"I didn't say they weren't," replied Rikku, bringing her voice back to a medium volume. "But you're also worried in a different way."

"Rikku, everyone!" a voice called in the direction of the Postern as they reached the foot of the stairs. Yuna ran forward to meet them with everyone else, including Lulu, Wakka and Paine, following close behind. "You're alright. For the most part," she amended upon noticing the cuts and bruises on Rikku, Auron, Roxas and Riku.

Kairi pushed to the front of the group with Sora, staring at Riku with almost imploring facial expressions. "Naminé, Katalin, Darcie, and Shawn. Where are they?" asked Kairi.

Riku shook his head. "Shawn, well... Dempsey killed him. I can't tell you more than that; only Katalin knows everything. As for our Princesses, they're... They disappeared. We're not sure what happened, but they disappeared with Dempsey."

"Hey!" Another voice called from down the path. Yuffie was jumping up and down and waving both arms vigorously. Standing behind her were Tifa, Cloud, Leon, and Aerith. Aerith and Tifa both looked relieved, but no one looked as much so as Yuffie. "Is everyone alright?"

Sora, who had mustered a small smile, slowly shook his head. "We're missing people..." He trailed off, but no one needed to know what else he had wanted to say as it was on the tip of everyone's tongue: "We're not even sure if they'll come back."

**XxxxxX**

Katalin fell to one knee as she attempted to catch her breath. Nore's constant switching of illusions made her head feel like it was seconds for bursting open. She glanced around her and saw that she was still perched on the surface of a gray-colored ocean complete with clouded sky overhead. As she watched, her vision changed from the ocean back to the grotto room every three seconds. "What kind of witch are you?" groaned Katalin as her other knee dropped, and she was on all fours, facing the unsteady water below her. She was quite aware that the illusion was fake, but it did not make her feel any less like she was heartbeats from falling in.

A quiet laugh sounded, and Katalin brought her head up to find Nore standing before her. She noticed, now, that her hair was a little curly -- at the very least a wavy-curly -- at the ends and hung past her shoulders. A dagger with a black hilt and crossbones engraved into the blade materialized in her hand with a puff of crimson smoke. "A kind that you don't want to meet when you're as sluggish as you currently are," she answered before neatly and quickly swiping her blade down Katalin's chest, starting from her heart and ending at her stomach.

Katalin fell back on the ocean's surface, feeling the water soak through her dress. Only, as she glanced down her body, she realized it was not the water she was feeling. Her white dress was steadily turning red from the blood pooling from her wounds. Yet, the wounds didn't even hurt. "If only your lover's end could have been this painless, hm?" remarked Nore.

Before Katalin had the opportunity to come up with a retort, the water rose over either side of her and swallowed her whole. She blinked her eyes to make sure she was seeing exactly what was in front of her: the water appeared to have formed some sort of cage. Katalin coughed and gasped and she flailed her arms and legs, but her actions did nothing to free her. "Fight it, pick yourself up. Come on!" Naminé's voice, sounding uncharacteristically impatient. "Katalin, wake up." The voice morphed until it sounded nothing like Naminé and totally like some sort of stranger.

Nore's facial expression was the perfect picture of surprise and horror as Katalin followed the voice's instructions and truly opened her eyes. She gasped loudly and continued to kick her legs and flail her arms as she had just awoken in another body of water. Katalin calmed herself down and looked toward the shore of the familiar lake. A tall boy with medium-length white-blond and black tips was standing on the rock-covered shore with Darcie laying beside him. She felt almost safe in saying that she did not personally know him although she did recognize him from school.

"Katalin, come on. I'm not going after you without a boat," the boy informed her as he crossed his arms over his muscular chest. The boy was wearing a black wifebeater with a large red spider depicted on the chest and a pair of baggy dark blue jeans.

She did not bother to question how he knew her name and silently swam to the shore. It was extremely easy to move through the water -- more so than it should have as she was wearing a dress. The sun was shining brightly in the blue sky overhead, a great deal different from the place with Nore. Once she climbed onto the shore, completely made up of large rocks, she glanced backwards. As Katalin had thought, the island with Diamant de Plaines was in the center of the lake. She and Darcie were home, at last. Maybe for good.

Katalin looked up, into the boy's dark brown eyes. His facial expression was overall cool, but she could pick up subtle hints of concern in it. Maybe not for good, then. "Who are you?"

"Eriq," answered the boy before glancing upwards, however briefly. "I know a lot about you and Darcie. So much so that it would probably surprise you."

She brought her eyes down in order to examine herself. Katalin had a simple time swimming through the water because she was, once again, dressed in her jeans and orange tee, complete with an oversized orange rose pin. "I don't know that I can take anymore surprises," she informed him.

Eriq laughed. "Then, I'll give you and Darcie a mega-potion before explaining."

**XxxxxX**

"Disappearing off of the face of this world is wrong," complained Kairi, who was sitting in the center of one of Merlin's couches. "How are we supposed to know if they're alright? What if they're _not _alright?"

Riku tapped the top of the head. "And I thought you said Sora and I were the lords of gloom and doom."

"Doom and despair," corrected Kairi as she tilted her head backwards in order to stare at her best friend. "I was just being realistic, not overly doom...like."

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like someone is losing track of their vocabulary."

"Is this national pick on Kairi day in the Radiant Garden?" grumbled Kairi as she collapsed on the couch.

Yuffie nodded and winked as she sat on one arm of the couch. "Didn't we ever tell you that Ansem the Wise created the holiday before this world was destroyed?"

A sudden click from Cid's computer boomed, sending the still-strawberry blond computer tech flying off of the back of his seat. Sora and Riku immediately sprang toward the computer, stepping over Cid in the process. A head shot of Eriq appeared on the screen. He messed with his hair for half a minute until he realized that the call had been patched through to the Garden. "Oh. Hey."

"Are we being... Punk'd?" Aerith asked Cloud and Tifa off to the side of the room. No one answered her.

"Who are you?" demanded Sora as Kingdom Key flashed into his hand.

Riku glanced down at his best friend with eyebrows raised. "Sora, you don't actually think that you can attack him through the computer screen, do you?"

Sora's cheeks turned crimson in response. "When you... say it like that, it sounds stupid."

"That's because it is," reassured Kairi with a mischievous grin as she stepped between Sora and Riku. Another click sounded, causing all three wielders to jump, and King Mickey appeared in another king beamed at them. "Well, hey ya, fellas! I see you've met Eriq."

"Who the hell is Eriq?" asked Riku.

In response, Eriq waved at them. "Oh, that's me. King Mickey had me keeping tabs on Diamant des Plaines. I figured out for him who Dempsey was."

"Your Majesty, you _knew _Dempsey is Katalin's father?" demanded Roxas, earning surprised gasps from a few members of the group.

Eriq raised an index finger. "Which reminds me. Katalin and Darcie are here, with me, and they're alright. Sort of."

"They're alright," breathed Kairi. "Where's Naminé?"

He raised his hands. "I don't know a Naminé, but I think Katalin muttered something about her leaving."

"You got the message wrong, you douche," complained Darcie before she bumped Eriq aside. "Roxas. We're not sure what happened to Naminé, just that she faded away. She's not gone from existence, but she's not here. Okay? And we're not dead, either, bee-tee-dubs."

Katalin stepped beside Darcie, Eriq, like Cid, momentarily forgotten. "And, Roxas, she wanted us to tell you that she loves you. That means she'll come back; count on it."

"What about you guys?" asked Kairi.

Darcie shrugged a little. "Dempsey's hiding somewhere, so I guess we have no reason to leave. For now, we're home."

"I guess this is our goodbye," remarked Katalin with a sad smile.

Kairi frowned and put her hands on her hips. "I disagree with that. If we have a Gummi ship, we can visit you -- and we will!"

"Of course you will," agreed Darcie. "You're our third musketeer."

Riku shook his head lightly although he was grinning. "Take care of yourselves."

* * *

**A/n: Sort of a lame note to end on, but I'm sure you will all like the epilogue. I was thinking about it a mega amount today, so I think it should be good. Hope the long chapter didn't assault you too terribly much, and I hope you all liked it! Please review. The epilogue should be up soonish. **


	31. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**A/n: What would you all say if I told you this story wasn't going to have a sequel and that you just have to deal with what I've given you? -dodges glass bottles- Oh. Well, then... Nah, of course I have a sequel waiting in the wings! This epilogue isn't going to have Sora/Riku/Kairi in it, just so you know. Not much I can do with them. The original song was "Suteki Da Ne" by Rikku, but I decided to change it. Feel free to listen to either that one, though, or the song whose lyrics have been posted.**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Kingdom Hearts.**

_'I've made my home in your heart and your mind._

_You laid your hands on my chest, and you pointed home._

_I'll give you all of me, I'll make you mine._

_If you'll take me, and you'll make me_

_Your first in line.'_

**-"First in line" by Matthew Mayfield**

**

* * *

**Three months. They had only been missing from Diamant de Plaines for a good three months. This surprised Katalin since it had seemed so much longer in other worlds. Maybe time had begun to flow differently once the world was locked and the heart hidden from view. There was still so much to the whole keyblade-wielding business that she couldn't wrap her mind around. And, even though he liked to pretend otherwise, Katalin knew that Sora did not know everything there was to know, either.

In fact, if he did, then maybe they would have an idea of where to look for Naminé.

Katalin shook the thought out of her mind as she stretched her arms over her head and leaned back on the grass as she redirected her thoughts. They had been home for about a couple weeks now. She and Darcie had been forced to make up their finals before they were able to start their senior year. Naturally, the last thing her mind had been on were molecular equations or the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. Still, her brain had managed to keep the information in the back of her mind, so she had been rather well off with her exams, passing all of them.

Somehow, she and Darcie were now seniors, already swamped with homework despite the fact it was only the fifth or so week of school. Katalin hooked some of her bangs behind her ear, closed her eyes, and breathed deeply. Her mother had, in short, been deeply troubled by her daughter's explanation of who, exactly, Dempsey was. "He changed his name," her mother had noted on the back porch of her mother's house, "to throw you off."

"I can't say I remember his real name or even want to," admitted Katalin as she paced along the patio. "I hate him. I hate him so badly." Her mother had stood, then, and held her while muttering meaningless, but soothing, words. Some yaps, followed by booming barks, forced Katalin to open one eye. A small golden teacup Chiuaua had noticed a few pedestrians walking down the sidewalk nearby and was yapping its head off at them. Mercedes quickly followed suit, as did Midnight and a few other dogs. Katalin pulled the bill of the Penguins hat over her eyes. Her family members constantly felt a redundant need to bring their dogs _everywhere_ which would not have bothered her so much had they not been clever enough to bring the canines to a fireworks showcase.

In order to forget the insanity around her -- insanity that was really nothing in comparison to what she had been through the past few months, -- Katalin thought about the others. Darcie was doing well, as perfect a student as she always was. Axel had not been to Des Plaines once and, as a result, Darcie had begun to hang around with Eriq more. Not that Katalin was bitter or anything; she and Darcie had named Eriq their third musketeer in Kairi's absence. Kairi, Riku, and Sora had been to see them quite a bit. Roxas, who was currently living with Sora, even managed to show up from time to time. While Sora and Kairi usually settled on doing something random with each other or Darcie at the end of the day, Riku was constantly with Katalin. She liked to think of him as a good candidate for the musketeer role, as well.

Or something else. Katalin shook the thought from her head. She had Shawn. Well, she did not have Shawn, but she had his... memory. Or something like it. It was just simple to hang out with Riku. He was perfectly alright with blasting music and playing video games or, really, just about anything. A loud crack, like a gunshot, forced Katalin to slightly lift up the bill of the cap as she searched for the source of noise. The night sky was alight with the bright colors of pyrotechnics. One firework in particular resembled a spider, reminding Katalin, again, of Eriq.

Eriq was a mysterious character and, as easy as it was for Katalin and Darcie to get along with him, they didn't know much about him. He was particularly sketchy about how he knew King Mickey and how he knew about all things Heartless, Nobody, and Keyblade related. Since Darcie had not seen Axel at all, she and Eriq had slowly been growing closer and closer. Katalin wondered how far it would go although she knew that when Darcie was in something, she was in it to win it. Which made Katalin positive that Darcie would have, at the very least, dragged Dempsey to near death if she'd had more time with him. Assuming, of course, that Darcie's encounter with Dempsey, and her own with Nore, had been real.

If Nore's cut from the heart down to Katalin's stomach had been real, it had healed up without leaving a scar. Had it not been for Sora, Riku, and Kairi's constant presence, Katalin would have been willing to bet that she had been dreaming for the past three or so months. Beautiful Disaster would not even return to her hand anymore although King Mickey had explained that this was because Katalin was in no danger. Or, at the very least, no immediate danger. None from an outward source, at the very least. She had been, admittedly, plagued by bizarre nightmares mostly including Nore and warped dimensions.

Katalin shook the thought from her head as she sat up a little straighter and turned the hat so the bill sat sideways on her head. She wasn't sure what she wanted to think about less: her difficult academic life or her fearful keyblade-wielding one. Sometimes the only positive she could draw from the latter was that she wasn't in it alone; she had Darcie. If she didn't have Darcie, or Sora, Riku and Kairi, she would be in a much worse position. In fact, she probably wouldn't have even been home.

On those rare occasions that she allowed her mind to drift back to the last day of her adventure, she almost wished she hadn't come home. She had almost counted on having some sort of real relationship with Shawn when their adventure was over. Now all she had were her friends and, her new favorite, a ton of schoolwork.

A sudden tap on Katalin's shoulder at the same time as more fireworks exploded made her jump and scowl. The hand rested on her shoulder, and it felt heavy. She closed her eyes, rubbed her temples, and inhaled deeply. "For the last time, Jay, there's _nothing _I can give you that will allow you to wield a keyblade. Actually, you know, maybe if I push you in front of a speeding bus, it'll happen. They tend to appear when you're in danger. Not that a keyblade would save you in that sort of situation..." Katalin thought about it for a minute. "Not unless it turned you into the Incredible Hulk."

"You have a really weird sense of humor," the guy remarked in response, his hand not moving from his shoulder. "You know, you and Darcie are pretty badass. I found out why Roxas was all glow-y and shit. When you were fighting in the Great Maw, trying to protect yourself from being swallowed up by the darkness spell, you accidentally, reflexively, used your light. And the light needed a vessel to remain in, so it chose the one with the most emptiness: Roxas. But, with just light, you didn't quite give him a heart. You just gave him fucked up framework. So, in the Great Hall, when Darcie was using her darkness, some of it joined Roxas' body and, viola, made him a real boy."

Katalin blinked. The voice was almost familiar to her ears, and she had no doubt in her mind that it was not her cousin. "Who...?" Her voice was drowned out by the constant eruptions of fireworks.

"The finale!" cried a small, dark blond-haired girl with brown-hazel eyes. She threw the leashes of a Beagle and a Doberman into the air out of her excitement.

The hand tugged Katalin into a standing position before leading her to the top of the hill that she had been laying on. She paid no mind to the owner of the hand as she watched the exploding fireworks of various colors (white, red, blue, and more) erupt one after the other. "Isn't it amazing that after going through everything we have how we can still admire the little things, like fireworks?" Finally, the voice clicked in Katalin's mind. No longer did she think that one of Jay's friends had been plotting to soak her with a hose or throw her in the dumpster.

As Katalin's heart beat relentlessly against her chest, she slowly turned toward the boy, almost willing herself not to get overly excited so there was a small margin of being greatly disappointed. The disappointment never hit her. Staring at her with an arrogant grin was a tall, fairly skinny boy with a muscular chest and overall nice arms. A turquoise checked cap was sitting at the top of his brunet head while he wore a shirt of, about, the same shade of blue and a pair of baggy blue jeans. He gazed at her own hat and raised an eyebrow. Then, he grabbed the offending accessory and changed its position so that the bill was facing backwards. "Katalin, I'm sorry, but no one with a face like yours could ever be a gangster."

Katalin was not sure if the proper reaction would be to laugh, cry, yell, or hug Shawn, so she settled for a mixture. She cried and yelled something incoherent before linking her arms around his back and holding tight. "Shawn, I can't believe... You _died_."

"I know, I was there," he replied before putting his arms around her and holding her tightly. Shawn rested his cheek against the top of her head and murmured, "I missed you."

"Guarantee you it was no where near as much as I missed you," answered Katalin with a quiet, almost desperate, giggle. Maybe with Shawn's return, the dreams of Nore and blood-spattered mirror rooms would cease to exist. "God, I missed you." She buried her face into his shirt and the two of them simply stood there with the fireworks booming in the background.

**XxxxxX**

"The witch was a fool," remarked a woman with a low, raspy voice as she leaned closer to the round table. "Because of her and her little distractions, we have lost our opportunity of gaining the ultimate power."

A girl with a shock of reddish brown hair waved her off as she leaned back in her seat. "Distractions were a huge help to us, you know that. Had it not been for Maleficent, we would have never had an opportunity to get so close to the Princesses in the first place."

"Too close, I think," observed a teenage boy whose face was obscured by a baseball cap and hoodie. "You should really stop fucking with other people's dreams, Nore."

Nore laughed. It was sharp enough to shatter glass and chilling enough to form icicles. "It's all in good fun. I'm not really hurting anyone."

A man pounded on the table as he abruptly stood. "Stop with your mindless chatter," he barked from the head of the table. "We have a job to accomplish, but it will never be complete if the three of you continue to snip at one another." His eyes swept around the table, where even more people were silent. They gazed at him silently, sending glares at Nore and the other two every few seconds. "I see that the others are kindly quiet."

"The others are mindless idiots," sighed the boy as he leaned his chair on its two back feet. "But, go on. What were you saying about death, destruction, and such?" A few people snickered, but the leading man was not amused.

"I suggest you watch your tongue, boy. There is no reason in the world for why I should deal with your antics. I can destroy you. Understood?"

The boy snorted, but murmured, "Understood."

"Say that again."

The boy heaved an overdramatic sigh. "Understood, _sir._"

* * *

**A/n: I'm sure there are things I meant to explain in here that I... have totally forgotten. xD' So, I suppose, I will simply settle for a huge thank you to my reviewers! Lesser, celticskyedancer, GoddessAzrael, and anyone else who reviewed that I missed, thank you so much. Your reviews mean so much to me, and I'm pleased that you've all enjoyed the story. The sequel is either going to be called Sick Hearts or Blood On My Hands, and I will, likely, be mentioning it in my other KH story when I get around to it, so I'll keep you posted. I hope you guys enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I've loved it (the characters, story, etc) so much that I couldn't not create a sequel. Once again, thank you all so much! See you in the sequel!**


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